WAT (Waters) Shareholder Yield % : -1.91% (As of Mar. 2026)


WAT Waters Corp WAT
92 GF Score
Price $368.86
GF Value $417.45
Valuation Modestly Undervalued
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is Waters Shareholder Yield %?

Waters WAT -1.48% 92 Shareholder Yield % is -1.91% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates WAT with a GF Score™ of 92/100 and a GF Value™ of $417.45 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 202 Medical Diagnostics & Research companies, Waters ranks worse than 63.37% on this metric.

Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. It is a measure of shareholder return. As of today, Waters's Shareholder Yield % was -1.91%.


Waters  (NYSE:WAT) Shareholder Yield % Explanation

Shareholder Yield % is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. The term was coined by William W. Priest of Epoch Investment Partners in a paper in 2005 entitled The Case for Shareholder Yield as a Dominant Driver of Future Equity Returns. William Priest indicated that "shareholder yield is a term that we came up with to reflect the various ways dividends can be paid to owners of a business in a publicly-traded company."

Shareholder Yield % is calculated by three components: Dividend Yield %, Buyback Yield %, and Net Debt Paydown Yield %.

Dividend Yield % shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its stock price, which is most obvious form of shareholder return.

Buyback Yield % is the net repurchase of shares outstanding over the market capital of the company. Shares repurchases also increase shareholder value by returning the money back to shareholders.

Net Debt Paydown Yield % is the change in average of four quarters of company's total debt over a company's market cap. Assuming the total value of a company remains that same, shareholder value is increased as debt is reduced.


Waters Shareholder Yield % Related Terms


Waters Shareholder Yield % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Waters's Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % Chart

Waters Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Shareholder Yield %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 2.98 3.57 -3.40 1.75 2.03

Waters Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Shareholder Yield % 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 3.11 3.17 3.32 2.03 -2.40

WAT vs NTRA, A, IQV: Shareholder Yield % Comparison

For the Diagnostics & Research subindustry, Waters's Shareholder Yield %, along with its competitors' market caps and Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % vs Medical Diagnostics & Research Industry

For the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry and Healthcare sector, Waters's Shareholder Yield % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Waters's Shareholder Yield % falls into.


WAT
92GF Score
Waters Corp WAT
Shareholder Yield % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Waters Shareholder Yield % Calculation

Waters's Shareholder Yield % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

Shareholder Yield %=Dividend Yield %+Buyback Yield %+Net Debt Paydown Yield %
=0.00 %+0.04 %+-2.44 %
=-2.4 %

* 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.

* All the data are calculated by TTM values. Note that if a companies is traded in several exchanges, then we calculate the company level data for Shareholder Yield % using the primary share class stock data. The calculation result in definition page is for demonstration purpose only, and it's showing the share class level data. Therefore, the numbers in the calculation may differ from elsewhere if the stock is not a primary share.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Shareholder Yield % →
What does a Shareholder Yield % of -1.91% mean?
Waters (WAT) has a Shareholder Yield % of -1.91% as of Mar. 2026. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Waters and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Waters ranks #128 out of 202 companies in the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry, placing it in the top 63.4%.
Is Waters' Shareholder Yield % too high?
Waters' current Shareholder Yield % is -1.91%. Based on the distribution chart, Waters ranks #128 out of 202 companies in the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Waters has a GF Score™ of 92/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Waters' Shareholder Yield % compare to NTRA and A?
According to the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry distribution chart, Waters ranks #128 out of 202 companies for Shareholder Yield %. This places Waters in the lower half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Shareholder Yield % for a Medical Diagnostics & Research company?
A good Shareholder Yield % depends on the Medical Diagnostics & Research industry context. However, Shareholder Yield % 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 Shareholder Yield % mean?
A high Shareholder Yield % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Shareholder Yield is how much money shareholders receive from a company that is in the form of cash dividends, net stock repurchases, and debt reduction. View historical data on Waters and its competitors. Waters's current Shareholder Yield % is -1.91%. 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 $417.45, compared to a current price of $368.86 — trading 11.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Shareholder Yield % is -1.91%. Waters' overall GF Score™ is 92/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Shareholder Yield % calculated?
Shareholder Yield % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Waters (WAT), the current Shareholder Yield % is -1.91% 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 $368.86 is trading 11.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $417.45. GuruFocus considers Waters to be Modestly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for WAT:

  • Shareholder Yield %: -1.91%
  • GF Value™: $417.45 vs. price of $368.86 (11.6% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 92/100 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.
92GF Score

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Shareholder Yield % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$368.86
Price
$417.45
GF Value