WATWaters Corporation

$442.96+45% 1Y
Latest close: a new 52-week highSep 28, 2026what changed →

RyuScore

Seven criteria, each scored 0 to 100 on a published scale, weighted into one number.

RyuScore 49 out of 100, Average
Today's price. Only valuation depends on it.

Average. Waters Corporation scores higher than 39% of the 1,794 companies Ryufin scores.

Carried by return on capital and cycle position, held back by valuation and return on new capital.

Healthcare median 28 · all companies 57

How the score has moved

At each fiscal year end, from the reports and price of the time
73
72
74
67
65
64
49
202020212022202320242025today

The biggest move was down 15 points from 2025 to today, mostly valuation.

Valuation

26% of the score

0median 56

Waters Corporation is valued at 79.8x its operating profit before acquisition amortisation (EBITA), including debt: past the 60 times where this criterion gives nothing.

60x
50x
35x
25x
18x
12x
8x
79.8x
Full points at 8x or less, none from 60xfull points

Return on capital

18% of the score

100median 34

Over 7 years the business earned 27% a year after tax on the capital it uses.

2%
8%
15%
25%
27%
None at 2% or less, full points from 25%full points
Return on capital by year
7 years agolatest 19%

Return on new capital

16% of the score

40median 49

For every dollar of operating profit earned over 6 years, yearly profit grew by 2 cents. New capital earned 3.6%, and 48% of profit went back into the business.

-5%
12%
1.8%
None at minus 5 cents, full points from 12 centsfull points

Capital allocation

14% of the score

60median 64

How management spends the money: shares bought back or issued, and whether assets grow faster than the business they serve.

Share countDown 0.9% a year over 5 years: buybacks
74
5%
-3%
-0.9%
0 pointsfull points
Assets against salesAssets grew 12% a year, sales 6%
41
12%
-2%
6.3%
0 pointsfull points

Cycle position

12% of the score

100median 62

Today's operating margin of 7.1% is 0.25x its normal 29%: near a trough. Normal is half the 10 year median, half the last four years, so a margin that has held is not taken for a peak.

2x
1.5x
1x
0.7x
0.2x
A trough earns points, a peak costs themfull points
Operating margin by year, against its normal level
10 years agonow 7.1%

Balance sheet

8% of the score

3median 50

What the debt weighs against the profit that has to carry it.

Net debt to EBITDA6.7x a year of EBITDA
0
4.5x
0.5x
6.7x
0 pointsfull points
Interest coverOperating profit covers interest 2x
7
1.5x
12x
2.2x
0 pointsfull points

Earnings quality

6% of the score

65median 90

Whether the reported profit arrives as cash, and whether the accounts show the usual signs of stretching.

Cash against profitOperating cash flow was 1.05x profit over 3 years
67
0.7x
1x
1.3x
1x
0 pointsfull points
AccrualsCash ran ahead of profit by 0.2% of assets
61
8%
0%
-8%
-0.2%
0 pointsfull points
Beneish M-score-2.37
68
-1.50
-1.78
-2.22
-3.00
-2.37
0 pointsfull points

How the RyuScore works

Each criterion earns 0 to 100 points on the scale drawn under it, and the RyuScore is their average weighted 26, 18, 16, 14, 12, 8 and 6. Scales bend in the company's favour between their ends, so an ordinary figure is never already near zero. Where a criterion cannot be measured from the filings it is taken out and the remaining weights scale up; a company needs 60% of the weight covered, and always a price, to get a score.

Built from the company's annual and quarterly filings with the SEC and today's share price. Banks, insurers and property trusts are not scored: their debt is their raw material, so these yardsticks mean something else there. Figures as of 2026-07-04, latest annual report FY2025.