WAT
Waters CorporationNYSEHealth CareDiagnostics & ResearchSnapshot 2026-05-08
As of May 8, 2026, WAT has a composite score of 9.3, with a signal label of "mixed" and a medium confidence level of 75.9. The score is influenced by various factors, including a macro score of 31.5 and a sector score of 7.6, indicating moderate risk. The analysis is provisional, reflecting uncertainties in guidance and sector trends.
Price
Daily closes from AlphaVantage. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Factor signals
Read top-to-bottom: thesis (is this a strong company over a 1–3 year hold), watch flags (has something changed worth re-reading), and position context (how violent might the path be). Each pill is a parallel diagnostic — never aggregated into a single score.
Thesis
— is this a strong company over a 1–3 year hold?Why this rank
- Direction share1.00
- Slope (norm)0.26
- Bonus0.00
Why this rank
Trailing four: 2024-Q3, 2025-Q1, 2025-Q2, 2025-Q3
Why this rank
Watch
— has something changed worth re-reading?Why this setup
EPS estimate $3.11 → $3.02 (-3.0% / 30d). 3 raised, 5 cut, 17 covering analysts.
0 upgrades, 0 downgrades / 30d, 5 maintained. 59% of analysts rate Buy.
4 PT revisions / 30d. Avg target 10.1% above current price.
1 positive, 0 negative / 30d. See F4 management tile for the event list.
Transition story with positive analyst positioning — often a turnaround setup.
F4 · Management deep-dive — recent events, stated priorities, guidance track record
Recent 8-K events
9 material events in the last 24 months — top 5 listed below.
- 2026-02-09WAT — director transitionimpact 0.45
- 2026-03-23WAT — share buyback announcedimpact 0.35
- 2026-02-09WAT — credit agreementimpact 0.31
- 2026-03-23WAT — capital allocation — Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balan…impact 0.28
- 2026-02-09WAT — capital allocation — Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balan…impact 0.25
Stated priorities
3 priorityies extracted from earnings transcripts (as of 2026-05-08).
- 1.Increase full-year 2026 EPS guidancegrowthbehind10% progress
5/5: “The Company is also raising its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $14.40 to $14.60.”
Why this status
Stated in 2 of last 2 quarters. EPS guidance was raised from $14.30-$14.50 in 2026-Q1 to $14.40-$14.60 in 2026-Q2. The trajectory shows a positive adjustment in expectations, indicating confidence in earnings growth.
- 2.Increase full-year 2026 revenue guidancegrowthbehind10% progress
5/5: “The Company is raising its full-year 2026 organic, constant currency revenue growth guidance to the range of 6.5% to 8.0%.”
Why this status
Stated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Revenue guidance was raised from $6.405-$6.455 billion in 2026-Q1 to a growth rate of 6.5%-8.0% in 2026-Q2. This indicates an upward revision in revenue expectations, suggesting positive momentum.
- 3.Complete acquisition of Becton, Dickinson assetsgrowthmixed37% progress
2/9: “Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.”
Why this status
Newly stated in 2026-Q1. The acquisition of Becton, Dickinson assets was completed, as noted in the material events. This strategic move is expected to enhance Waters Corporation's market position, though financial impacts are yet to be detailed.
Guidance track record
Last 4 quarters of EPS guidance with actuals.
Per-quarter detail
| Period | Guidance | Actual | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-30 | $2.60 – $2.70 | $2.93 | beat |
| 2024-12-31 | 3.90 – 4.10 | 4.10 | inside |
| 2025-03-31 | $2.17 – $2.25 | $2.25 | inside |
| 2025-12-31 | $4.45 – $4.55 | $4.53 | inside |
Beat / inside / miss is computed from the guided range when issued; for point-estimate quarters a ±5% tolerance band around the mid is used. surprise_pct_vs_mid is unstable when guided EPS is near zero, so it is not surfaced as a headline.
Position context
— how violent might the path be while I hold it?Why this risk level
Recent vol — 30d annualized 53%; 252d 39%.
Drawdown — Max 1y −31%. Bad day move −3%.
Beta to sector ETF (XLV) — 1.24 over 1y.
Liquidity — score 100/100.
Sub-scores — vol 35/100, drawdown 37/100, beta 76/100, earnings vol —.
via XLV
Tailwind = sector leading the S&P 500; headwind = trailing. Both can be constructive — historically, headwind regimes have averaged stronger forward returns than tailwind.
Context label only — describes the market state (e.g. real bear vs narrative panic, healthy uptrend vs late-stage froth). It is not a per-ticker buy/sell signal and does not predict factor performance.
Not investment advice. As of 2026-05-08.
What changed
The most important moves since the prior daily snapshot.
- No material changes since the prior snapshot.
No material changes since the prior snapshot.
as of 2026-05-08
Management scorecard
How management runs the business — capital, margins, balance sheet, and how reliably they guide and deliver.
Met or beat guidance 100% of the last 3 guided quarters · 4.6% avg surprise
What management is focused on
Priorities management has stated in recent disclosures, with status and evidence drawn from earnings calls, filings, and press releases.
- #1
Increase full-year 2026 EPS guidance
GrowthNew since 2026-05-05Raise full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $14.40 to $14.60.
BehindStated in 2 of last 2 quarters. EPS guidance was raised from $14.30-$14.50 in 2026-Q1 to $14.40-$14.60 in 2026-Q2. The trajectory shows a positive adjustment in expectations, indicating confidence in earnings growth.
10%CEO/CFO:“The Company is also raising its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $14.40 to $14.60.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-05Stated 2 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-05Show history (2)
- 2026-Q2Multiple sources
“The Company is also raising its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $14.40 to $14.60.”
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“The Company expects full-year 2026 non-GAAP EPS to be in the range of $14.30 to $14.50.”
- #2
Increase full-year 2026 revenue guidance
GrowthNew since 2026-05-05Raise full-year 2026 revenue growth guidance to 6.5% to 8.0%.
BehindStated in 2 of last 2 quarters. Revenue guidance was raised from $6.405-$6.455 billion in 2026-Q1 to a growth rate of 6.5%-8.0% in 2026-Q2. This indicates an upward revision in revenue expectations, suggesting positive momentum.
10%CEO/CFO:“The Company is raising its full-year 2026 organic, constant currency revenue growth guidance to the range of 6.5% to 8.0%.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-05Stated 2 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-05Show history (2)
- 2026-Q2Multiple sources
“The Company is raising its full-year 2026 organic, constant currency revenue growth guidance to the range of 6.5% to 8.0%.”
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“Including the positive impact of expected revenue synergies, total Company revenue for full-year 2026 is expected to be in the range of $6.405 billion to $6.455 billion.”
- #3
Complete acquisition of Becton, Dickinson assets
GrowthFinalize the acquisition of assets from Becton, Dickinson to enhance strategic positioning.
MixedNewly stated in 2026-Q1. The acquisition of Becton, Dickinson assets was completed, as noted in the material events. This strategic move is expected to enhance Waters Corporation's market position, though financial impacts are yet to be detailed.
37%CEO/CFO:“Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-02-09Stated 1 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-02-09Show history (1)
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.”
How this stock is priced
Two ways to read price: against peers in the same business, and against the company's own history.
Looks more expensive than peers.
Self-history needs ~20 months of data.
P/E over the last 5 years
14 monthly pointsHow this compares
A side-by-side read on composite, valuation, and risk versus peers.
| Stock | Composite | Valuation | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
WAT Waters Corporation | +9.3 | expensive | moderate |
LLY Lilly (Eli) | +21 | full | moderate |
JNJ Johnson & Johnson | +18 | full | low |
ABBV AbbVie | +12 | fair | low |
UNH UnitedHealth Group | +24 | fair | elevated |
Risk — how this stock moves
What a normal day looks like, what a bad day looks like, and the worst the last year has thrown at it.
What could change this view
Conditional scenarios — if X happens, the score would shift by about Y points. These are not predictions.
- If health_care sector trend rises from +0.06 into 'improving' (>= +0.20)+5.0 pts
- If next-quarter guidance is raised (currently NEW as of 2026-05-05)+4.0 pts
- If next-quarter guidance is cut (currently NEW as of 2026-05-05)-8.0 pts
- If labor state reverses from -0.31 (negative) to +0.31 (positive)-6.8 pts
- If health_care sector trend falls from +0.06 into 'weakening' (<= -0.20)-5.0 pts
Material updates
Recent SEC 8-K filings ranked by likely impact, confidence, and recency.
- 2026-05-053d agoItem 2.02
of this Form 8-K (including Exhibit 99.1) shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
earnings preannouncementpositivescore 67 - 2026-03-231mo agoItem 1.01
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. On March 23, 2026, Augusta SpinCo Corporation (the “Issuer”), a subsidiary of Waters Corporation (the “Company”), completed the public offering (the “Offering”) of $3.5 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes, consisting of (i) $650 million aggregate principal amount of 4.321% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”), (ii) $600 million aggregate principal amount of 4.398% Senior Notes due 2029, (iii) $750 million aggregate principal amoun…
capital allocationpositivescore 23 - 2026-03-231mo agoItem 2.03
Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. The information set forth under
capital allocationnegativescore 18 - 2026-03-161mo agoItem 8.01
Other Events. In connection with a registration statement on Form S-3 that Waters Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Waters”), expects to file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission promptly after the filing of this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Current Report”), Waters is providing: (i) the unaudited condensed combined financial statements as of December 31, 2025 and September 30, 2025 and for the three months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 of Becton, Dickinson an…
mna activitypositivescore 15 - 2026-02-092mo agoItem 2.01
Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. The information set forth in the Introductory Note and
mna activitypositivescore 9
Score history
The composite score, snapshot by snapshot. The dotted line at zero separates leaning-positive from leaning-negative.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.