Waters forecasts first-quarter profit below Wall Street estimates, shares slide

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Waters said connected Monday it expects first-quarter nett to autumn beneath Wall Street estimates, sending shares of the ​lab instrumentality shaper down astir 12% successful premarket trading arsenic ‌investors weighed the outlook and a gross diminution astatine the Becton Dickinson portion it acquired ‌last year.

The company, however, forecast better-than-expected full-year profit, reflecting contributions from its $17.5 cardinal buyout of Becton Dickinson's bioscience and diagnostics business, which it bought to broaden its scope successful objective and diagnostic applications.

Separately, Becton posted an 8.3% year-over-year ⁠decline successful gross from its ‌life sciences segment, which includes biosciences and diagnostic solutions, for the 4th ended December 31. The concern posted income ‍of $766 million.

"Overall, it looks similar the BD gross came successful lighter than expected, truthful it whitethorn beryllium a heavier assistance to amended operations successful that business... than ​previously expected," Morningstar expert Julie Utterback said.

Waters forecast first-quarter nett of $2.25 ‌to $2.35 per share, versus analysts' mean estimation of $2.51, according to LSEG data.

For 2026, Waters said it expects 5.3% combined institution income maturation astatine the midpoint, including the payment from the acquisition.

It projected 2026 adjusted nett of $14.30 to $14.50 per share, supra analysts' mean estimation of $14.32.

Waters expects full-year integrated gross of $3.35 ⁠billion to $3.40 billion, compared with estimates of $3.36 ​billion, and said the acquired Becton Dickinson ​business should adhd astir $3 cardinal to reported 2026 revenue.

The portion brought successful income of $766 cardinal successful the quarter, beneath analysts' estimation ‍of $1.3 billion.

Waters supplies ⁠lab instrumentality and exertion globally, with astir gross coming from biopharma customers that usage its tools for probe and cause development.

The institution ⁠reported fourth-quarter adjusted nett of $4.53 per share, topping estimates of $4.51, portion gross roseate astir 7% ‌to $932 million, compared with expectations of $928.1 million.

(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan ‌in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)