Exhibit 99.1

For Immediate Release

Contact: Gene Cassis, Vice President of Investor Relations, 508-482-2349

Waters Corporation Third Quarter 2003 Sales Up 7%,
Earnings Per Diluted Share in Line with Company’s Expectations

Milford, Massachusetts, October 22, 2003 – Waters Corporation (NYSE/WAT) reported today third quarter 2003 sales of $230.4 million, an increase of 7 % over sales of $216.0 million in the third quarter of 2002. Sales for the quarter benefited from the positive effects of currency translation that contributed approximately 5% to the quarter’s reported growth. Quarterly earnings per diluted share (E.P.S.) were $0.29, compared to $0.29 for the third quarter in 2002. On a pro-forma basis, excluding an in-process R&D charge, E.P.S. were $0.33 for the quarter, an increase of 14% over the last year’s third quarter E.P.S. of $0.29. Free cash flow for the quarter was approximately $34 million.

Commenting on the quarter, Douglas Berthiaume, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said, “Growth in our HPLC business, driven by improved pharmaceutical spending in the U.S., highlighted our third quarter performance. This business improvement was somewhat offset by continued weakness in the proteomics and drug discovery markets affecting our mass spectrometry products. However, late in the quarter, we began customer shipments of the Quattro Premier™ marking our re-entry into the domestic high-end tandem quadrupole market. We are confident that our new Quattro Premier™ will accelerate growth of our worldwide market share in this resilient and growing product market.”

As communicated in a prior press release, Waters Corporation will webcast its third quarter 2003 financial results conference call this morning, October 22, 2003, at 8:30 a.m. eastern time. To listen to the call, connect to www.waters.info, choose Investor Relations and click on the Live Webcast. A replay of the call will be available from today through October 28, 2003, similarly by webcast, and also by phone at 402-220-5317.

Waters Corporation holds worldwide leading positions in three complementary analytical technologies – high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (MS) and thermal analysis (TA). These markets account for $4.4 billion of the overall $20 billion analytical instrument market.


 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

This release contains “forward-looking” statements regarding future results and events, including statements regarding expected financial results, future growth and customer demand that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words, “believes”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “appears”, “estimates”, “projects”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. The Company’s actual future results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements within this release for a variety of reasons including and without limitation: loss of market share through competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, pressures on prices from competitors and/or customers, regulatory obstacles to new product introductions, lack of acceptance of new products, changes in the demands of the Company’s healthcare and pharmaceutical company customers, changes in the healthcare market and the pharmaceutical industry, changes in distribution of the Company’s products, the short-term effect on sales and expenses as a result of the formerly announced combination of the Waters and Micromass sales, service and distribution organizations, and foreign exchange fluctuations. Such factors and others are discussed more fully in the section entitled “Risk Factors” of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which “Risk Factors” discussion is incorporated by reference in this press release. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s estimates as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the future.


 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

                                     
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30   September 30
        2003   2002   2003   2002
 
Net sales
    230,381       216,045       683,132       633,578  
Cost of sales
    95,045       89,832       284,744       265,066  
 
 
Gross profit
    135,336       126,213       398,388       368,512  
 
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    66,743       62,759       197,033       183,896  
Research and development expenses
    15,106       13,576       42,456       38,499  
Purchased intangibles amortization
    1,179       860       3,234       2,697  
Litigation provisions (A)
                1,500       2,800  
Loss on disposal of business (B)
                5,031        
Restructuring and other unusual charges (C)
    (135 )           1,079        
Expensed in-process research and development (D)
    5,160             5,160        
 
 
Operating income
    47,283       49,018       142,895       140,620  
 
Other income, net
                      116  
Interest income, net
    1,550       1,661       4,279       4,539  
 
Income from operations before income taxes
    48,833       50,679       147,174       145,275  
 
Provision for income taxes
    12,419       11,656       34,685       33,301  
 
Income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle
    36,414       39,023       112,489       111,974  
 
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle (E)
                      (4,506 )
 
Net income
    36,414       39,023       112,489       107,468  
 
Income per basic common share:
                               
 
Net income before cumulative effect of accounting principle change
    0.30       0.30       0.91       0.85  
 
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle (E)
                      (0.03 )
   
Net income
    0.30       0.30       0.91       0.82  
 
Income per diluted common share:
                               
 
Net income before cumulative effect of accounting principle change
    0.29       0.29       0.87       0.82  
 
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle (E)
                      (0.03 )
   
Net income
    0.29       0.29       0.87       0.79  
 
Weighted average number of basic common shares
    122,240       130,788       124,000       131,090  
 
Weighted average number of diluted common shares and equivalents
    126,709       135,483       128,568       136,511  

(A)   The results for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 include a $1.5 million provision for an environmental matter with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
 
(B)   The results for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 include a loss on disposal of the inorganic mass spectrometry product line.
 
(C)   The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 include restructuring and other incremental costs and adjustments recorded in relation to the Company’s reorganization of the HPLC and mass spectrometry businesses, and restructuring charges relating to the acquisition of the rheology business of Rheometric Scientific, Inc.
 
(D)   The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 include charges for expensed in-process research and development relating to the acquisition of Creon Lab Control, AG.
 
(E)   Effect at January 1, 2002 of a change in accounting method for patent related costs.


 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In thousands, except per share data)

                                 
    (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)
    Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
    September 30   September 30
    2003   2002   2003   2002
 
Reconciliation of income per diluted share, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, with pro-forma results:
                               
 
Income per diluted share before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle
    0.29       0.29       0.87       0.82  
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
Adjustment for litigation provisions, net of tax
                1,155       2,044  
Income per diluted share effect
                0.01       0.01  
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
Adjustment for restructuring and other unusual charges, net of tax
    (104 )           831        
Income per diluted share effect
    (0.00 )           0.01        
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
Loss on disposal of business, net of tax
                3,522        
Income per diluted share effect
                0.03        
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
Other expense, write down of certain investments, net of tax
                      (89 )
Income per diluted share effect
                      (0.00 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
Expensed in-process research and development
    5,160             5,160       0  
Income per diluted share effect
    0.04             0.04        
 
   
     
     
     
 
 
Pro-forma income per diluted share:
    0.33       0.29       0.96       0.83  
 
   
     
     
     
 

The pro-forma income per diluted share presented above is used by the management of the Company to measure operating performance with prior periods and is not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The above reconciliation identifies those items management has excluded as non-operational activities or transactions. Management feels these transactions are not indicative of understanding the ongoing operations of the business or its future outlook.


 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands and unaudited)

                   
      September 30, 2003   December 31, 2002
 
Cash and cash equivalents
    288,120       263,312  
Restricted cash
    0       49,944  
Accounts receivable
    195,711       196,273  
Inventories
    124,947       130,241  
Other current assets
    16,251       13,341  
 
Total current assets
    625,029       653,111  
 
Property, plant and equipment, net
    106,780       100,329  
Other assets
    301,274       255,478  
 
Total assets
    1,033,083       1,008,918  
 
Notes payable and debt
    181,110       2,665  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
    257,694       313,758  
 
Total current liabilities
    438,804       316,423  
 
Other long-term liabilities
    29,334       27,185  
 
Total liabilities
    468,138       343,608  
 
Total equity
    564,945       665,310  
 
Total liabilities and equity
    1,033,083       1,008,918