WAT (Waters) ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: -6.21% (As of Mar. 2026)


WAT Waters Corp WAT
94 GF Score
Price $379.29
GF Value $421.49
Valuation Modestly Undervalued
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is Waters ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %?

Waters WAT +0.31% 94 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -6.21% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates WAT with a GF Score™ of 94/100 and a GF Value™ of $421.49 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 212 Medical Diagnostics & Research companies, Waters ranks better than 81.6% on this metric.

Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits). He defines ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % as EBIT divided by the total of Property, Plant and Equipment and net working capital. Waters's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -6.21%.

The historical rank and industry rank for Waters's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:

WAT' s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 34.02   Med: 78.27   Max: 94.78
Current: 34.02

During the past 13 years, Waters's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 94.78%. The lowest was 34.02%. And the median was 78.27%.

WAT's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked better than
81.6% of 212 companies
in the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry
Industry Median: -2.815 vs WAT: 34.02

Waters's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was -5.40% per year.


Waters  (NYSE:WAT) ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Explanation

The way Joel Greenblatt defines Return on Capital is a more accurate measure of how efficiently the company generates returns onthe capital actually invested in the business. EBIT is used instead of net income because the tax and interest payment may be affected by factors other than the core business operation. Intangible assets are not included in the calculation because they don't need to be replaced.

Joel Greenblatt uses his definition of Return on Capital and Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % to rank companies.


Waters ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms


Waters ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Waters's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Waters ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Chart

Waters Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 86.96 77.72 63.97 63.17 58.08

Waters Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 49.27 57.83 55.76 75.65 -6.21

WAT vs NTRA, A, IQV: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison

For the Diagnostics & Research subindustry, Waters's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Waters ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Medical Diagnostics & Research Industry

For the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry and Healthcare sector, Waters's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Waters's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.


WAT
94GF Score
Waters Corp WAT
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Waters ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Calculation

Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) . He defines Return on Capital as follows:

ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %=EBIT/Average of (Net fixed Assets + Net Working Capital)

EBIT stands for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.

Fixed Assets are also known as non-current assets. They include the Property, Plant and Equipment that the firm needs in its operation.

GuruFocus calculates net working capital as: (Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Deferred Revenue + Other Current Liabilities). We're trying to account for OPERATING assets and liabilities (part of daily business) when calculating working capital. Cash and marketable securities are considered NON-OPERATING assets and are not included in calculation. We will also back out all interest bearing debt, short term debt and the portion of long term debt that is due in the current period from the current liabilities. This debt will be considered when computing cost of capital and it would be inappropriate to count it twice.

Working Capital(Q: Dec. 2025 )
=(Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Defer. Rev. + Other Current Liabilities)
=(828.844 + 572.371 + 158.599) - (151.569 + 266.54 + 330.299)
=811.406

Working Capital(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=(Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Defer. Rev. + Other Current Liabilities)
=(1753 + 1496 + 353) - (671 + 520 + 669)
=1742

When net working capital is negative, 0 is used.

So ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of Waters for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 can be restated as:

ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=EBIT/Average of (Net fixed Assets + Net Working Capital)
=EBIT/Average of (Property, Plant and Equipment+Net Working Capital)
     Q: Dec. 2025  Q: Mar. 2026
=EBIT/( ( (Property, Plant and Equipment + Net Working Capital) + (Property, Plant and Equipment + Net Working Capital) )/ count )
=-160/( ( (722.81 + max(811.406, 0)) + (1876 + max(1742, 0)) )/ 2 )
=-160/( ( 1534.216 + 3618 )/ 2 )
=-160/2576.108
=-6.21 %

Note: The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT data.

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

What does a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of -6.21% mean?
Waters (WAT) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of -6.21% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Waters and its competitors. Over the past decade, Waters' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 34.02 to 94.78. According to the industry distribution chart, Waters ranks #39 out of 212 companies in the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry, placing it in the top 18.4%.
Is Waters' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Waters' current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -6.21%. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 34.02 to a high of 94.78. Based on the distribution chart, Waters ranks #39 out of 212 companies in the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Waters has a GF Score™ of 94/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Waters' ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to NTRA and A?
According to the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry distribution chart, Waters ranks #39 out of 212 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places Waters in the top 18% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. Historically, Waters' own ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 34.02 to 94.78 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Medical Diagnostics & Research company?
A good ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % depends on the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry context. However, ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Waters and its competitors. Waters's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -6.21%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Waters stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Waters (WAT) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $421.49, compared to a current price of $379.29 — trading 10% below its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -6.21%. Waters' overall GF Score™ is 94/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Waters (WAT), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is -6.21% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Waters (WAT) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Waters stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $379.29 is trading 10% below its estimated GF Value™ of $421.49. GuruFocus considers Waters to be Modestly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for WAT:

  • ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: -6.21%
  • GF Value™: $421.49 vs. price of $379.29 (10% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 94/100 with 7 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the WAT stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Waters Business Description

Address 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA, USA, 01757
Waters sells liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis tools. These analytical instruments provide essential information on various products, such as their molecular structures and physical properties, to help clients enhance the health and well-being of end users. In early 2026, Waters merged with BD's life science and diagnostics business, which increased its concentration in diagnostics (versus none now) and discovery-related life science tools.
94GF Score

Get the complete analysis for WAT

ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$379.29
Price
$421.49
GF Value