Form 4: Waters Corp SVP Acquires Shares via PSU Vesting

Waters Corp's SVP of TA Instruments Division, Jianqing Bennett, reported the acquisition of 1,385 shares of common stock through PSU vesting and the disposition of 43 shares for tax withholding.

Summary

• Jianqing Bennett, SVP TA Instruments Division at Waters Corp, reported changes in beneficial ownership.
• On February 4, 2026, Bennett acquired 1,385 shares of Waters Corp Common Stock at a price of $0.
• This acquisition represents the vesting of performance-based restricted stock units (PSUs) originally granted on February 8, 2023.
• The performance-based vesting requirement for these PSUs was certified by the Issuer's Compensation Committee on February 4, 2026.
• The PSUs will fully vest upon satisfaction of the service-based vesting requirement on March 1, 2026, converting into common stock on a one-to-one basis.
• Following this acquisition, Bennett beneficially owned 6,301 shares.
• On February 5, 2026, Bennett disposed of 43 shares of Common Stock at a price of $376.89 per share.
• These shares were withheld by Waters Corp to satisfy tax withholding obligations related to the vesting and settlement of previously reported restricted stock units.
• After the tax-related disposition, Bennett beneficially owned 6,258 shares.
• The transaction was made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1(c) plan.

Sentiment

Score: 7

Explanation: StockSavvy.ai views this as a moderately positive event, reflecting the successful achievement of performance targets for executive compensation and a standard tax-related transaction, indicating normal course of business for executive equity awards.

Positives

• The vesting of performance-based restricted stock units indicates that the company met specific performance targets, leading to the award of shares to the executive.
• The executive's beneficial ownership of 6,258 shares aligns their interests with long-term shareholder value.

Negatives

• The disposition of 43 shares for tax withholding, while standard practice, slightly reduces the executive's direct ownership.

Future Outlook

The filing indicates that the service-based vesting requirement for the performance-based restricted stock units will be satisfied on March 1, 2026, leading to their full vesting and settlement into common stock.

Industry Context

StockSavvy.ai notes that executive equity compensation, particularly through performance-based restricted stock units, is a common practice in the life sciences and analytical instrumentation industry, aligning executive incentives with company performance and shareholder interests. The tax withholding transaction is a standard procedure for such equity awards.

Stakeholder Impact

• Shareholders: The vesting of PSUs indicates that the company met performance goals, which could be viewed positively. The executive's continued ownership aligns interests.

Next Steps

• The performance-based restricted stock units will fully vest upon satisfaction of the service-based vesting requirement on March 1, 2026.

Key Dates

Recommendation

This Form 4 filing details a routine executive compensation event involving the vesting of performance-based restricted stock units and subsequent tax withholding. It does not present new information that would fundamentally alter the investment thesis for Waters Corp. The transactions are expected and reflect the normal course of executive equity awards, thus warranting a 'hold' recommendation based solely on this filing.

Keywords

Waters Corp, WAT, Jianqing Bennett, SVP TA Instruments, Form 4, Insider Trading, Beneficial Ownership, Restricted Stock Units, PSUs, Stock Vesting, Executive Compensation, Rule 10b5-1