FrançaisAre analysts right about Waters Corporation (WAT)?
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Historical analyst accuracy
For Waters Corporation, we replayed every analyst price target of the past 12 months and measured the real outcome: 17% were profitable, average return -6% (70 calls). At 3 months: -2% average return (34% profitable). The higher the %, the more often analysts were right on this stock.
Most reliable analysts on this stock (past track record)
Their past track record on this stock (targets replayed against real prices) — not a forecast of what will happen.
| Analyst / broker | Calls i | % profitable i | Avg return i |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays | 21 | 19% | -6% |
| Baird | 9 | 11% | +3% |
| Wells Fargo | 8 | 12% | -15% |
| Morgan Stanley | 5 | 20% | +2% |
Valuation
Is Waters Corporation overvalued, and is it a good time to buy Waters Corporation right now? If you're wondering, here's a recap to make up your own mind: Waters Corporation's valuation vs its sector median, to weigh alongside analyst reliability (above) and past performance. Educational information, not buy advice.
The P/E (price ÷ earnings per share) = how many years of earnings you pay for the stock. The higher it is, the more growth the market expects — but the pricier the stock, so more vulnerable if growth disappoints. The forward P/E uses next year's expected earnings: lower than the current P/E = rising expected earnings. We compare it to the sector median to see whether the stock is expensive relative to its peers.
| Metric | Waters Corporation | Sector median (Health Care) |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 105.3 | 29.4 |
| Forward P/E | 25.5 | 17.1 |
| Net margin | 4% | 12% |
👉 Waters Corporation trades above its sector median (105.3 vs 29.4) — the market expects higher growth; watch out for disappointment.
📖 P/E, PEG, margin…: see the glossary
Frequently asked questions
Is Waters Corporation a buy right now?
The analyst consensus on Waters Corporation (WAT) is "Buy" (16 bullish, 0 bearish calls over 12 months). This is not advice: historically, 17% of their targets on this stock turned out profitable over 1 year.
What is Waters Corporation's price target?
The median 12-month price target is $420 (-0% vs $421), ranging from $330 to $475 (15 analysts).
Are analysts accurate on Waters Corporation?
Over 1 year, 17% of analyst targets on Waters Corporation were profitable, for an average return of -6% (across 70 timestamped calls). This is JPI Invest's accuracy metric.
What is the Waters Corporation stock forecast?
Analysts target a median of $420 within 12 months, i.e. -0% vs the current price. The most bullish targets $475, the most cautious $330.
What is the Waters Corporation stock forecast for 2026 or long term (2030)?
Note: analyst targets are 12-month (median $420, -0%), NOT 2030. No reliable 5-10 year price forecast exists (« 2030 prediction » models are speculative). The most useful inputs: the 12-month median above, these analysts' historical accuracy (17%), and the stock's past trajectory.
Is Waters Corporation overvalued?
Its P/E is 105.3, forward P/E 25.5. A forward P/E lower than the current P/E means earnings are expected to grow.
📊 See the full interactive analysis of Waters Corporation →
What is JPI Invest?
JPI Invest aggregates analyst recommendations across the entire S&P 500 (plus the S&P MidCap 400), replays them against real prices and measures who predicts best — on results, not reputation. Instead of taking a price target at face value, you see each analyst's track record on each stock.
- 🏆 Analyst leaderboard by real reliability (beating their sector, not just riding the rally)
- 🎯 What to buy: 3 backtested methods over 6 years, from cautious to aggressive
- 💬 AI assistant: ask anything about any stock, with the numbers
- 📊 Portfolio tracking + 🔔 price alerts by email
⚠️ Educational information, not investment advice. Analyst price targets are 12-month and can be wrong. Data via Yahoo Finance, recomputed by JPI Invest.