Secure Water Purchases at $190 While Earning 1.1% Annually with Options Strategies

Exploring Alternative Strategies for Investing in Waters Corp. Stock

Investors looking to buy Waters Corp. (Symbol: WAT) stock, currently priced at $322.77 per share, may find selling puts to be a viable strategy if they hesitate to pay the market price. A notable option is the November put contract with a $190 strike, which is offering a bid of $1.30 at this time. Earning that premium translates to a 0.7% return based on the $190 commitment, or an annualized rate of 1.1%, a concept referred to as YieldBoost at Stock Options Channel.

It is important to understand that selling a put does not allow investors to participate in WAT’s upside potential as share ownership does. The seller will only acquire shares if the put contract is exercised. The buyer would only opt to exercise at the $190 strike price if it offers a better financial outcome than selling at the current market rate. Essentially, unless Waters Corp.’s shares decline by 41% and the put contract is exercised (resulting in an effective cost basis of $188.70 per share prior to broker commissions, calculated by deducting the $1.30 premium from $190), the put seller’s sole advantage lies in collecting the premium, yielding a 1.1% annualized return.

Below is a chart illustrating the trailing twelve-month trading history for Waters Corp., which highlights where the $190 strike resides within that context:

Loading chart — 2025 TickerTech.com

This chart, combined with the stock’s historical volatility, can serve as an essential tool alongside fundamental analysis to determine whether selling the November put at the $190 strike for a 1.1% annualized rate of return is an appropriate risk-reward scenario. Based on the last 251 trading days and the current price of $322.77, we estimate the trailing twelve-month volatility for Waters Corp. at 37%. For additional put option contract ideas with varying expiration dates, visit the WAT Stock Options page on StockOptionsChannel.com.

During mid-afternoon trading on Wednesday, the put volume among S&P 500 components reached 1.15 million contracts, while call volume stood at 1.43 million, resulting in a put:call ratio of 0.80. This figure is notably higher than the long-term median put:call ratio of 0.65. This indicates a significant increase in put buyers in options trading so far today compared to typical levels of call buyers. To discover which 15 call and put options traders are discussing today, click here.

Top YieldBoost Puts of the S&P 500 »