---
title: "Waters shareholders approve transformative BD business combination"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/273896306.md"
description: "Waters shareholders have approved the issuance of common stock to Becton, Dickinson and Company as part of a business combination, with 99% voting in favor. The transaction is set to close on February 9, 2026, following all regulatory approvals. This merger positions Waters as a leader in life sciences and diagnostics. Analysts rate WAT stock as a Buy with a target price of $460. Waters Corporation, a leader in analytical instruments, has a market cap of $23.28B and employs over 7,600 people globally."
datetime: "2026-01-27T21:53:31.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/273896306.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/273896306.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/273896306.md)
---

> Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/273896306.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/273896306.md)


# Waters shareholders approve transformative BD business combination

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Waters ( (WAT) ) has issued an announcement.

On January 27, 2026, Waters shareholders overwhelmingly approved the issuance of Waters common stock to shareholders of Becton, Dickinson and Company in connection with the planned combination of BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business with Waters, with approximately 90.8% of eligible shares represented at the special meeting and about 99% of those present voting in favor. With all required regulatory approvals secured and a favorable IRS private letter ruling obtained on U.S. federal income tax matters related to the deal, the companies expect to close the transaction on February 9, 2026, positioning Waters as a more differentiated leader in life sciences and diagnostics and prompting the company to align the release of its Q4 2025 financial results and conference call with the anticipated closing date.

The most recent analyst rating on (WAT) stock is a Buy with a $460.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Waters stock, see the WAT Stock Forecast page.

**Spark’s Take on WAT Stock**

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, WAT is a Outperform.

The score is driven by strong earnings-call momentum (raised guidance and above-guidance EPS) and solid underlying profitability/returns, with supportive price action above key moving averages. These positives are tempered by premium valuation (high P/E), mixed cash flow dynamics, and incremental execution risk around the pending BD-related transaction and associated legal proceedings.

To see Spark’s full report on WAT stock, click here.

**More about Waters**

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) is a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software, serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for more than 65 years. With over 7,600 employees in more than 100 countries, the company focuses on ensuring the efficacy of medicines, the safety of food and water, and the quality and sustainability of everyday products for customers in laboratories, manufacturing sites, and hospitals worldwide.

**Average Trading Volume:** 558,221

**Technical Sentiment Signal:** Strong Buy

**Current Market Cap:** $23.28B

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