Waters Corporation (WAT) — Stock Score Summary

Waters Corporation (WAT) has a MoatMap StockRank of 50/100 based on Quality (58/100), Value (20/100), and Momentum (59/100) factor scores. The current signal is HOLD. Waters Corporation is a high-quality provider of analytical instruments (liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry) essential for drug development and manufacturing validation. While it stands to benefit from the CDMO pricing power cycle as biologics manufacturing scales, near-term biopharma spending caution and high valuation warrant a cautious, monitored stance.

Waters Corporation develops and manufactures analytical laboratory instruments, software, and services for liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis, serving pharmaceutical, life science, and industrial research. It is a market leader in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry, benefiting from a deeply embedded installed base, proprietary technologies, and high customer switching costs. Waters is a critical enabler of scientific research and quality control across diverse industries.

Key Financial Metrics

Price$365.55
Market Cap$36.0B
P/E (TTM)47.84
P/E (Forward)22.86
Price/Book8.75
Return on Equity5.2%
Return on Invested Capital21.5%
Debt/Equity36.63
Gross Margin55.2%
Operating Margin2.8%
Revenue Growth91.4%
Free Cash Flow$-502M

Waters Corporation operates in the Diagnostics & Research industry, part of the Healthcare sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Waters Corporation’s (WAT) StockRank?
MoatMap’s StockRank for Waters Corporation (WAT) is 50/100, with a Hold signal. It is a composite of Quality (58), Value (20), and Momentum (59) factor ranks across MoatMap’s 19,000+ stock universe.
Does Waters Corporation have an economic moat?
Waters Corporation (WAT) has a Quality factor score of 58/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage — the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is Waters Corporation a buy, hold, or sell?
MoatMap’s current signal for Waters Corporation (WAT) is Hold, based on a StockRank of 50/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many — combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is Waters Corporation in?
Waters Corporation (WAT) operates in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Diagnostics & Research industry (United States).
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