For the quarter ended September 2026, Waters (WAT Quick QuoteWAT - Free Report) reported revenue of $1.77 billion, up 120.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $4.10, compared to $3.40 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.75 billion, representing a surprise of +0.81%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +2.76%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $3.99.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Waters performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net sales- Analytical Sciences Division (ASD): $703 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $694.48 million.
• Net sales- Materials Sciences Division (MSD): $93 million versus $90.22 million estimated by three analysts on average.
• Net sales- Advanced Diagnostics Division (ADx): $575 million compared to the $572.37 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Net sales- Biosciences Division (WBD): $396 million compared to the $395.87 million average estimate based on three analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Waters here>>>

Shares of Waters have returned +2.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.