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Waters Corporation (WAT) Stock Analysis

Buy WaitVALUE-TRAP 2/5Moderate Confidence

Healthcare · Diagnostics & Research

Wait for pullback to $324.61. At $341.40 the A.R:R is 0.4:1 — below the 1.5:1 minimum for BUY_NOW. Engine's entry $324.61 (Default 5pct Sticky) is the shallowest technical level that clears the 2:1 A.R:R minimum. Key risks: Concentration risk — Geographic: international (outside of the U.S.) (69.0%); Thin upside margin: 5.6%.

Waters Corporation designs, manufactures, and services liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis instruments for pharmaceutical, clinical, industrial, and food safety markets globally. In February 2026, the company completed the $16.8B acquisition of BD's... Read more

$341.40+11.1% A.UpsideScore 5.9/10#3 of 26 Diagnostics & Research
QualityF-score8 / 9FCF yield-1.54%
Entry $324.61(Default 5pct Sticky)Stop $295.93Target $360.47(analyst − 10%)A.R:R 0.4:1Setup A.R:R 1.6:1
Analyst target$400.52+17.3%21 analysts
$360.47our TP
$341.40price
$400.52mean
$480

Wait for pullback to $324.61. At $341.40 the A.R:R is 0.4:1 — below the 1.5:1 minimum for BUY_NOW. Engine's entry $324.61 (Default 5pct Sticky) is the shallowest technical level that clears the 2:1 A.R:R minimum. Key risks: Concentration risk — Geographic: international (outside of the U.S.) (69.0%); Thin upside margin: 5.6%. Chart setup: No recognized chart pattern (not a breakout, bounce, continuation, recovery, falling knife, or range) — technicals mixed. Mixed signals. Hold existing position. | News modifier +2 (HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT) Score 5.9/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 7/9 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news boost analyst 0.60, earnings proximity 70d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: moderate.

Val4.5Qual4.5Grw10.0Mom4.9Sent7.6Ins6.3Peer4.0Tech4.0Risk5.95.9OVERALL

Recent Developments — Waters Corporation

Latest news

Generated 2026-05-20T21:06:21Z.

Thesis

Rewards
Sector modifier (Healthcare): +0.5
Strong earnings beat streak (3/4)
Positive news sentiment (+0.67)
Risks
Concentration risk — Geographic: international (outside of the U.S.) (69.0%)
Thin upside margin: 5.6%
V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.5)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)42.4
P/E (Fwd)20.3
Mkt Cap$32.7B
EV/EBITDA33.4
Profit Mgn11.9%
ROE5.2%
Rev Growth91.4%
Beta1.14
DividendNone
Rating analysts29

Quality Signals

Piotroski F8/9MoatNarrow

Options Flow

P/C1.21bearish
IV39%normal
Max Pain$200-41.4% vs spot

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • HIGHGeographicinternational (outside of the U.S.)69%
    10-K Item 1A: 'Approximately 69% and 68% of the Company’s net sales in 2025 and 2024, respectively, were outside of the U.S.'

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

1 ceiling hit

GatesA.R:R 0.4 < 1.5@spotMomentum 4.9<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)Momentum 4.9>=4.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsNEWS BOOST ANALYST 0.60EARNINGS PROXIMITY 70d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Moderate
RSI
65 · Neutral
↑ 20D MA↑ 50D MA↑ 200D MADEATH CROSSSupport $287.19Resistance $357.45

Price Targets

$296
$325
$360
A.Upside+5.6%
A.R:R0.4:1
Setup A.R:R (at entry)1.6:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionMedium conviction
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeRisk-Off

Risk Alerts

! NEWS_MOD=+2: HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT
! Reward/Risk 0.4:1 at current price — below 1.5:1 minimum

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-07-29 (70d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WAT stock a buy right now?

Wait for pullback to $324.61. At $341.40 the A.R:R is 0.4:1 — below the 1.5:1 minimum for BUY_NOW. Engine's entry $324.61 (Default 5pct Sticky) is the shallowest technical level that clears the 2:1 A.R:R minimum. Key risks: Concentration risk — Geographic: international (outside of the U.S.) (69.0%); Thin upside margin: 5.6%. Chart setup: No recognized chart pattern (not a breakout, bounce, continuation, recovery, falling knife, or range) — technicals mixed. Mixed signals. Hold existing position. | News modifier +2 (HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT) Target $360.47 (+5.6%), stop $295.93 (−15.4%), Setup A.R:R 1.6:1. Score 5.9/10, moderate confidence.

What is the WAT stock price target?

Take-profit target: $360.47 (+11.1% upside). Target $360.47 (+5.6%), stop $295.93 (−15.4%), Setup A.R:R 1.6:1. Stop-loss: $295.93.

What are the risks of investing in WAT?

Concentration risk — Geographic: international (outside of the U.S.) (69.0%); Thin upside margin: 5.6%; V7 low-quality RISK_OFF penalty: -0.5 (Q=4.5).

Is WAT overvalued or undervalued?

Waters Corporation trades at a P/E of 42.4 (forward 20.3). TrendMatrix value score: 4.5/10. Verdict: Buy (Wait for Entry).

What do analysts say about WAT?

29 analysts cover WAT with a consensus score of 3.9/5. Average price target: $401.

What does Waters Corporation do?Waters Corporation designs, manufactures, and services liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis...

Waters Corporation designs, manufactures, and services liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis instruments for pharmaceutical, clinical, industrial, and food safety markets globally. In February 2026, the company completed the $16.8B acquisition of BD's Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions businesses, reorganizing into four segments; 69% of 2025 net sales were outside the U.S.

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