Waters (WAT) News & Sentiment

MILFORD, Mass., March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) has announced the appointment of Dr. Udit Batra.

Waters Corp announced stronger-than-expected results for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2024, thanks to solid performance in the academic, government, and pharmaceutical sectors, even though foreign exchange issues affected their profit margins. The company expects to keep growing in 2025, with revenue growth estimated between 4.5% and 7%, particularly in emerging markets like India and fast-growing sectors such as GLP-1 and PFAS testing. However, there are risks due to high valuations and fewer chances to invest cash, which makes stock buybacks less appealing; their current valuation seems tough compared to past averages and competitors.

Carson Block, the founder and CEO of Muddy Waters, shares his recent investment strategies and key market trends in a discussion with Bloomberg Television's Haslinda Amin. He covers topics such as the challenges of investing in China, the complex geopolitics between the US, China, and Taiwan, and the current excitement around AI and investing in India. Block also expresses his views on Elon Musk, Trump's tariffs, and his thoughts on ESG investing.

WAT's results for the fourth quarter of 2024 show significant growth in the pharmaceutical sector and strong improvements in all areas. However, foreign exchange challenges had a negative impact.

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) will hold its Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call on February 12, 2025, at 8:00 AM ET. The call will feature company representatives, including Caspar Tudor, Udit Batra, and Amol Chaubal, along with participants from various financial firms. The operator will begin the call by welcoming everyone to discuss the company's financial results for the fourth quarter.

Waters (WAT) reported quarterly earnings of $4.10 per share, which is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.02 per share. This is an increase compared to last year's earnings of $3.62 per share.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Waters Corporation reported sales of $873 million, surpassing expectations with a 6% increase overall and an 8% rise in constant currency. The company saw strong growth in its instruments and recurring revenue, with the pharmaceutical sector growing by 10% in constant currency. For the full year, sales reached $2,958 million, remaining stable, while operating cash flow was $762 million, representing 25% of total sales.

The news highlights enhanced flexibility and data-based insights with a 43% larger motor stroke range (100 mm), allowing for testing on a wider variety of materials in different industries. Additionally, the improved dynamic performance enables fatigue testing to be completed up to 30% quicker than competitors, speeding up product development and validation.

Today, we will examine Waters Corporation, a company that offers analytical workflow solutions mainly for the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors. Since its low point in July, WAT stock has risen by 35%, but analysts are becoming more careful due to worries about its valuation, resulting in mixed ratings and modest price targets. Historically, the stock is currently trading at the highest levels of its price-to-sales and price-to-earnings ratios.