Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Waters Corp (WAT)

1K + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in WAT. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +367
Streak
2Q ▲
Buyers last Q
83%

Smart Money Signals — WAT

Based on 1164 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added WAT than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
1,164 hedge funds hold WAT right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀

Fast accumulation — +56% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+419 new funds entered over the past year (+56% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟢

More buyers than sellers — 83% buying

1022 buying214 selling
Last quarter: 1,022 funds were net buyers (466 opened a brand new position + 556 added to an existing one). Only 214 were sellers (115 trimmed + 99 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+333 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new WAT position: 89 → 105 → 133 → 466. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

50% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 50% conviction (2yr+) ■ 14% medium ■ 37% new
578 out of 1,164 hedge funds have held WAT for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares +60%, value +21%

Value
+20%
Shares
+60%
Last quarter: funds added +60% more shares while total portfolio value only changed +21%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
🚀

Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in

82 → 89 → 105 → 133 → 466 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 89 → 105 → 133 → 466. The pace of institutional discovery is accelerating sharply. This is the 'hot idea' phase — the thesis is being passed from fund to fund. You are not late — the accumulation wave is still building.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 56% veterans vs 36% newcomers

■ 56% veterans ■ 8% 1-2yr ■ 36% new
Entry-cohort mix of 1,176 holders: 663 (56%) are 2+ year veterans, 91 entered 1–2 years ago, and 422 (36%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
🏆

Elite ownership — 47% AUM from top-100 funds

47% from top-100 AUM funds
66 of 1162 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 47% of total institutional value in WAT. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
4.5
out of 10
Moderate Exit Risk
Exit risk score 4.5/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — WAT

In 2026 Q1, 1022 hedge funds were net buyers of WAT (466 opened a new position, 556 added to an existing one), while 214 reduced or exited (115 trimmed, 99 sold completely) — a 83% buyer ratio, indicating clear institutional accumulation. Net buying has persisted for two consecutive quarters, a positive momentum signal. 47% of total institutional value in WAT is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +367 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 1164.

Hedge Fund Ownership: WAT

How many hedge funds hold WAT — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of WAT vs. share price

Market Analysis: WAT

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: WAT

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Waters Corp (WAT) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much WAT has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLV) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 78d ago
WAT
+20.1%
XLV
+4.3%

WAT outperformed XLV by +15.8% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 33d ago
WAT
+8.7%
XLV
+5.4%

Since the filing became public, WAT outperformed XLV by +3.3% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Broad Consensus, Selective Conviction

Many quality funds hold this stock, but top-tier positions remain relatively small.

65 top-rated funds 4 high-conviction
Consensus
7.9
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
3.3
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: WAT
1K + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in WAT. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 1154 797 44.79%
13F Shares 93M 58M 59.84%
Total Value $26.08B $21.65B 20.46%
New Positions 460 133 +327
Increased Positions 551 244 +307
Closed Positions 103 79 +24
Reduced Positions 111 283 -172
Total Calls 8 6 33.33%
Total Puts 6 7 -14.29%
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.75 1.17 Neutral

Statistics: WAT

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Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

1K + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in WAT. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 WAT holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Fundsmith LLP 7.46% 3,212,075 $956.6M
2 Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. 7.41% 1,096,855 $326.6M
3 Veritas Asset Management LLP 6.06% 1,200,813 $357.6M
4 Meridiem Capital Partners LP 4.03% 207,814 $61.9M
5 Mawer Investment Management Ltd. 2.71% 1,403,627 $418.0M
6 Beck Mack & Oliver LLC 2.65% 432,206 $128.7M
7 Hutchinson Capital Management/Ca 2.57% 46,974 $14.0M
8 Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc/Wi 2.38% 104,675 $31.2M
9 Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC 2.30% 7,925 $2.4M
10 Jones Kertz & Associates, Inc. 2.02% 12,763 $3.8M
11 Findlay Park Partners LLP 1.94% 467,245 $139.1M
12 Pacific Capital Partners Ltd 1.80% 6,141 $1.8M
13 Evelyn Partners Asset Management Ltd 1.80% 24,518 $7.3M
14 Freemont Management S.A. 1.70% 37,700 $11.2M
15 Nuance Investments, LLC 1.68% 40,500 $12.1M
16 Independent Investors Inc 1.55% 26,163 $7.8M
17 Smith Group Asset Management, LLC 1.18% 77,612 $23.1M
18 Hamrick Investment Counsel, llc 1.15% 4,059 $1.5M
19 BLI - Banque de Luxembourg Investments 1.14% 100,920 $38.1M
20 Elwood Capital Partners LP 1.13% 7,500 $2.2M
21 Graybill Wealth Management, LTD. 1.13% 12,462 $3.7M
22 First Pacific Advisors, LP 1.12% 267,472 $79.7M
23 PFM Health Sciences, LP 1.08% 39,763 $11.8M
24 Champlain Investment Partners, LLC 1.06% 279,840 $83.3M
25 Viking Global Investors LP 1.05% 1,256,462 $374.2M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Waters Corp (WAT)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for WAT?

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row: For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added WAT than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for WAT?

More buyers than sellers — 83% buying: Last quarter: 1,022 funds were net buyers (466 opened a brand new position + 556 added to an existing one). Only 214 were sellers (115 trimmed + 99 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.

What is the fund quality score for WAT holders?

Elite ownership — 47% AUM from top-100 funds: 66 of 1162 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 47% of total institutional value in WAT. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held WAT?

50% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 578 out of 1,164 hedge funds have held WAT for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Waters Corp (WAT) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, WAT has moved +8.7% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +5.4% for the XLV sector ETF — an outperformance of +3.3%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), WAT has gained +20.1% vs +4.3% for XLV. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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