Buyback yield (TTM)
0.05%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
0.05%
5Y share count change
-4.3%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$12.73M
Cumulative buybacks
$10.17B
Key takeaways
- Waters Corporation (WAT) repurchased about $12.73M of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 4.3% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 0.21× — repurchases only partially offset SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at -40.5% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 5% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Waters Corporation (WAT)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Waters Corporation (WAT)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Waters Corporation (WAT)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Waters Corporation (WAT)
Latest: $14.67M
Overview
2025's annual buyback spend for Waters Corporation (WAT) came in at $14.67M – grew 8.3% year-over-year.
Looking at the 2020–2025 (5 years) stretch, Waters Corporation buyback spend compounded at -40.5% per year, with a net decline across the window.
Waters Corporation buyback spend plunged from $2.47B in 2019 to $14.67M in 2025, a 99.4% drawdown.
2019 marks the peak buyback spend at $2.47B, with the historical low of $0.00 recorded in 1995.
Waters Corporation Buyback Spend 2025: $14.67M
2025's buyback spend for Waters Corporation came in at $14.67M, grew 8.3% from 2024.
Waters Corporation Buyback Spend 2024: $13.54M
Waters Corporation posted buyback spend of $13.54M in 2024, plunged 80.7% below 2023.
Waters Corporation Buyback Spend 2023: $70.28M
In 2023, Waters Corporation reported buyback spend of $70.28M, plunged 88.8% below 2022.
Waters Corporation Buyback Spend 2022: $626.06M
Waters Corporation buyback spend in 2022 was $626.06M, edged down 3.5% below 2021.
Waters Corporation Buyback Spend 2021: $648.93M
Waters Corporation buyback spend in 2021 was $648.93M.
See more financial history for Waters Corporation (WAT).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $14.67M | $54.13M | −$39.46M | 0.06% | 0.06B | +0.3% | |
| 2024 | $13.54M | $44.71M | −$31.17M | 0.06% | 0.06B | +0.5% | |
| 2023 | $70.28M | $36.87M | $33.41M | 0.36% | 0.06B | -1.8% | |
| 2022 | $626.06M | $42.56M | $583.50M | 3.08% | 0.06B | -2.7% | |
| 2021 | $648.93M | $29.92M | $619.01M | 2.86% | 0.06B | -0.6% | |
| 2020 | $196.41M | $36.87M | $159.54M | 1.28% | 0.06B | -8.4% | |
| 2019 | $2.47B | $38.58M | $2.43B | 16.57% | 0.07B | -12.2% | |
| 2018 | $1.32B | $37.54M | $1.28B | 9.32% | 0.08B | -3.7% | |
| 2017 | $332.54M | $39.44M | $293.11M | 2.17% | 0.08B | -1.0% | |
| 2016 | $325.76M | $41.00M | $284.76M | 3.02% | 0.08B | -2.0% | |
| 2015 | $334.70M | $33.37M | $301.34M | 3.05% | 0.08B | -2.4% | |
| 2014 | $337.44M | $33.00M | $304.45M | 3.60% | 0.09B | -1.6% | |
| 2013 | $301.58M | $31.71M | $269.87M | 3.55% | 0.09B | -2.7% | |
| 2012 | $295.88M | $29.18M | $266.69M | 3.92% | 0.09B | -3.6% | |
| 2011 | $370.83M | $27.58M | $343.26M | 5.63% | 0.09B | -1.8% | |
| 2010 | $296.29M | $24.85M | $271.44M | 4.16% | 0.09B | -2.9% | |
| 2009 | $211.38M | $28.25M | $183.12M | 3.64% | 0.10B | -3.7% | |
| 2008 | $237.50M | $30.78M | $206.72M | 6.66% | 0.10B | -1.9% | |
| 2007 | $200.65M | $28.86M | $171.79M | 2.53% | 0.10B | -1.7% | |
| 2006 | $249.20M | $28.81M | $220.39M | 5.02% | 0.10B | -10.1% | |
| 2005 | $659.28M | $0.00 | $659.28M | 16.68% | 0.12B | -5.8% | |
| 2004 | $231.29M | $0.00 | $231.29M | 4.16% | 0.12B | -3.5% | |
| 2003 | $324.58M | $0.00 | $324.58M | 8.14% | 0.13B | -6.0% | |
| 2002 | $99.30M | $0.00 | $99.30M | 3.61% | 0.14B | -1.3% | |
| 2001 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.14B | +0.6% | |
| 2000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.14B | +3.1% | |
| 1999 | $9.50M | $0.00 | $9.50M | — | 0.13B | +10.8% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.12B | +2.8% | |
| 1997 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.12B | -2.9% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.12B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$14.67M
- 2024$13.54M
- 2023$70.28M
- 2022$626.06M
- 2021$648.93M
- 2020$196.41M
- 2019$2.47B
- 2018$1.32B
- 2017$332.54M
- 2016$325.76M
- 2015$334.70M
- 2014$337.44M
- 2013$301.58M
- 2012$295.88M
- 2011$370.83M
- 2010$296.29M
- 2009$211.38M
- 2008$237.50M
- 2007$200.65M
- 2006$249.20M
- 2005$659.28M
- 2004$231.29M
- 2003$324.58M
- 2002$99.30M
- 2001$0.00
- 2000$0.00
- 1999$9.50M
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$0.00
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Waters Corporation (WAT)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 0.21×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Waters Corporation (WAT)
How Waters Corporation splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Waters Corporation, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $5.95B | |
| $5.54B | |
| $5.08B | |
| $4.11B | |
| $980.00M | |
| $216.35M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $5.95B
- $5.54B
- $5.08B
- $4.11B
- $980.00M
- $216.35M
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $264.00M (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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