Should You Think About Buying Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Now?

Let's talk about the popular Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT). The company's shares saw a significant share price rise of over 20% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s examine Waters’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for Waters

Is Waters Still Cheap?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. It’s trading around 11.74% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Waters today, you’d be paying a relatively fair price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $299.40, then there isn’t really any room for the share price grow beyond what it’s currently trading. In addition to this, Waters has a low beta, which suggests its share price is less volatile than the wider market.

What kind of growth will Waters generate?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Waters' earnings growth are expected to be in the teens in the upcoming years, indicating a solid future ahead. This should lead to robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? WAT’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on WAT, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For example - Waters has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

If you are no longer interested in Waters, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.