Home / Stock ratings / WAT
Stock rating · Laboratory Analytical Instruments
Waters Corp (WAT) Stock Rating & Analysis
As of October 9, 2026, MELANY rates Waters Corp 72 out of 100 (Highest Conviction). Its highest factor score is catalyst setup at 85, and its lowest is valuation at 40.
MELANY ratingRated 2026-10-09WAT · composite score
About Waters Corp
Waters sells liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis tools. These analytical instruments provide information such as molecular structures and physical properties to help clients improve the health and well-being of end users. In early 2026, Waters merged with BD's life science and diagnostics business, increasing its diagnostics concentration (from none previously) and its discovery-related life science tools.
Rating as of 2026-10-09 · this is a dated snapshot; the live rating is in the app (Pro, free for 30 days). The price above updates in real time.
Why WAT scores 72/100
WAT's 8 factor scores run from 40 to 85, and 3 of them sit above its composite of 72. Here is how WAT breaks down.
Whether the price looks cheap or expensive against earnings, growth, and peers.
- Forward P/E 25.9x, earnings growth accelerating
Margins, returns on capital, and balance-sheet strength.
- Gross margin 58%
Direction and relative strength of the recent share-price trend.
- 50-day MA above 200-day (golden cross zone)
History of beating or missing estimates, and where estimates are heading.
- Beat EPS estimates 3 of last 4 quarters
- Earnings in 25 days (strong beat history)
What Wall Street price targets and revisions are signalling.
- Institutional net buying +4.3%
Near-term events that could move the stock.
- Earnings in 25 days
Upside weighed against volatility and drawdown risk.
How the current rate and market regime suits this kind of company.
How WAT compares
As of October 13, 2026, Waters Corp ranks 1st of the 4 companies with a MELANY rating page in its SEC industry group (Laboratory Analytical Instruments), where the average score is 63.
Key risks for WAT
- Trailing P/E 109x, priced for sustained growth, any miss could de-rate hard
- Negative free cash flow, company consuming cash, not generating it
- Trading near 52-week high, limited upside without new positive catalyst
Sector and theme context
Waters Corp sits in the Healthcare sector theme, which MELANY currently rates 49/100 for strength. Theme strength feeds WAT's momentum and catalyst factors above.
WAT trade plan (Pro)
MELANY has a full position plan for Waters Corp: a smart entry zone, an alert level, position sizing, and quarterly review triggers. It is part of Market Eyes Pro, and the first 30 days are free.
How MELANY rates WAT
MELANY is a rules-based engine that scores every stock from 0 to 100 across eight weighted factors, then re-scores as new price, earnings, and fundamental data arrive. Waters Corp's 72/100 reflects speculative factor weighting for its profile. Position framework managed by score-based check-ins, not a fixed holding period.
Ratings are algorithmic and change with the data. They are research and education, not personalized investment advice.
Frequently asked questions about WAT
Is Waters Corp (WAT) a buy?
As of 2026-10-09, MELANY rated Waters Corp Highest Conviction with a composite score of 72/100. That is a dated snapshot, not the live rating, and it is an algorithmic reading built from eight factors rather than personalized investment advice. Review the factor breakdown above and the disclaimer below before making any decision.
What is Waters Corp's MELANY score?
Waters Corp (WAT) has a MELANY composite score of 72/100, combining valuation, business quality, price momentum, earnings track record, analyst sentiment, catalyst setup, risk-adjusted profile, macro fit.
How is the WAT stock rating calculated?
MELANY scores WAT from 0 to 100 across eight weighted factors using live market and fundamental data, then refreshes the rating automatically as new data arrives.
Should I buy Waters Corp stock?
That decision is yours; Market Eyes Live does not give buy or sell advice. What the data says: MELANY rates Waters Corp (WAT) Highest Conviction with a composite of 72/100 as of 2026-10-09. The factor breakdown above shows what is driving that, which is a better basis for a decision than any one-word verdict.
What is the WAT stock price forecast?
MELANY does not publish price targets or forecasts for WAT. Predicting a future price is exactly the kind of false precision the confidence framework avoids. Instead it scores today's setup, 72/100 across eight factors for Waters Corp, and re-scores automatically as new price, earnings, and fundamental data arrive.
Is WAT stock overvalued or undervalued?
MELANY's valuation factor currently reads 40/100 for Waters Corp, where a higher score means the price looks more attractive on that measure. Scores in the 70s and above read as attractively priced, the mid range as roughly fair, and low scores as stretched. The factor breakdown above shows what drives WAT's read.
What price should I buy WAT at?
Rather than chasing the current price, MELANY computes a smart entry zone for WAT: the price area where risk and reward actually favor a new position, plus an alert level and position sizing. The exact levels are part of Market Eyes Pro, which starts with a 30-day free trial.
What are the risks of buying WAT stock?
The top risks MELANY currently flags for Waters Corp: Trailing P/E 109x, priced for sustained growth, any miss could de-rate hard; Negative free cash flow, company consuming cash, not generating it; Trading near 52-week high, limited upside without new positive catalyst. The rating on this page already weighs these against the bullish factors; see the risk-adjusted profile score in the breakdown above.
Is Waters Corp a good long-term investment?
For long-term durability the two factors that matter most are business quality, which MELANY scores 53/100 for Waters Corp, and earnings track record, at 74/100. The 72/100 composite blends those with six shorter-horizon factors. Durable quality at a fair price is the long-term case to test; this is research, not personalized investment advice.
Will WAT stock go up?
Nobody can promise a stock's direction, and Market Eyes Live does not predict prices. The measurable part: MELANY's price momentum factor reads 73/100 for WAT right now, and the catalyst setup factor tracks whether near-term events could move it. Both re-score automatically as the data changes.
How current is this WAT rating?
The rating on this page is a snapshot of MELANY's read as of 2026-10-09. The price shown updates live, but the score is not recomputed on this page. MELANY re-scores WAT continuously as new price, earnings, and fundamental data arrive, and the current rating is in the app (Pro, free for 30 days).
How this rating works
Market Eyes Live
Every rating graded in public, WAT included
MELANY scores more than 11,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs, PRISM ranks conviction and APEX writes the plan with one entry zone. Free to start on iOS and the web.