Waters Introduces Next-Generation Microflow LC Columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology, Delivering Higher Sensitivity with Lower Sample and Solvent Usage

Rhea-AI Summary

Waters (NYSE: WAT) launched 1 mm I.D. microflow LC columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology on February 17, 2026, for ACQUITY, BioResolve, and GTxResolve brands. The columns claim up to 2× higher sensitivity, use up to 75% less sample, and reduce solvent use by up to 4× versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns, improving recovery for small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides while enabling earlier reproducible results and global availability with immediate shipment.

Positive

• Sensitivity up to 2× versus 2.1 mm I.D. stainless steel columns
• Sample consumption reduced by up to 75% versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns
• Solvent consumption reduced by up to 4× versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns
• Global availability and immediate shipment beginning February 17, 2026

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction – WAT

-0.60%

1 alert

-0.60% News Effect

On the day this news was published, WAT declined 0.60%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Sensitivity improvement: up to 2× higher sensitivity Sample reduction: up to 75% less sample Solvent reduction: up to 4× lower solvent use +3 more

6 metrics

Sensitivity improvement up to 2× higher sensitivity Compared with stainless steel microflow LC columns

Sample reduction up to 75% less sample Versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns in microflow format

Solvent reduction up to 4× lower solvent use Versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns

Column inner diameter 1 mm I.D. New microflow LC columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology

Legacy column size 2.1 mm I.D. Reference analytical-scale LC columns for comparison

Solvent and sample fraction one-quarter of solvent and sample Required versus 2.1 mm analytical-scale LC columns

Market Reality Check

Price: $327.78 Vol: Volume 2532351 is 2.01x t...

high vol

$327.78 Last Close

Volume Volume 2532351 is 2.01x the 20-day average, indicating elevated trading interest ahead of/around this launch. high

Technical Price at 323.37 is trading below the 200-day MA of 344.43 and about 21.92% under the 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

Only one close peer, LH, appears in momentum scans, moving up about 2.61%. Other...

1 Up

Only one close peer, LH, appears in momentum scans, moving up about 2.61%. Other peers show mixed, modest moves, suggesting today’s action in WAT is more company-specific than sector-driven.

Common Catalyst Labcorp (LH) reported quarterly and full-year results, but no broad diagnostics tools theme links multiple peers today.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 09 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 09	Business combination close	Positive	-13.9%	BD completes spin and combination of its Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions unit with Waters.
Feb 09	Business combination close	Positive	-13.9%	Waters confirms completion of combination with BD assets, creating four life sciences divisions.
Feb 09	Earnings and guidance	Positive	-13.9%	Reports Q4 and full-year 2025 growth with strong 2026 revenue and EPS guidance including BD deal.
Jan 27	Spin-off record date	Positive	-0.2%	BD sets record date and details structure for spin-off and planned combination with Waters.
Jan 27	Shareholder approval	Positive	-0.2%	Waters shareholders approve issuing shares for the BD combination, clearing a key closing condition.

Pattern Detected

Recent major corporate events and earnings with generally positive framing have coincided with notably negative short-term price reactions, indicating a pattern of downside divergence on good news.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, Waters has been reshaped by its Reverse Morris Trust combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, creating four operating divisions and giving BD holders 39.2% of the combined company. Around Feb 9, completion of the deal and strong Q4 2025 results (sales $932 million, full-year $3.165 billion) saw shares drop about 13.94%. Earlier, shareholders overwhelmingly approved the transaction and BD set the spin record date with minimal price impact. Today’s microflow LC column launch follows this transformational integration phase, adding incremental product innovation to a recently expanded platform.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement adds incremental innovation to Waters’ expanded platform following its BD Bioscien...

Analysis

This announcement adds incremental innovation to Waters’ expanded platform following its BD Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions combination. The 1 mm I.D. microflow LC columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology aim for up to 2× higher sensitivity, up to 75% lower sample usage, and up to 4× lower solvent consumption versus 2.1 mm columns, targeting constrained bioanalytical and ’omics workflows. In context of recent integration, earnings, and guidance updates, investors may monitor adoption in pharma, bioanalysis, and metabolomics as a gauge of how effectively Waters converts its chemistry pipeline into growth across the larger organization.

Key Terms

liquid chromatography, nonspecific adsorption, metabolomics, proteomics, +3 more

7 terms

liquid chromatography technical

"launched 1 mm I.D. liquid chromatography (LC) columns with Waters' MaxPeak"

Liquid chromatography is a laboratory technique that separates, identifies and measures chemicals in a liquid sample by passing it through a material that slows different compounds by different amounts, like a filter that sorts marbles by size and weight. Investors care because it underpins drug development, quality control and diagnostics: reliable separation and measurement affect product safety, regulatory approval, manufacturing consistency and marketability.

nonspecific adsorption technical

"This significant advancement minimizes nonspecific adsorption (NSA) and improves recovery"

Nonspecific adsorption is when molecules stick to surfaces or materials without the intended, selective interaction—think of dust clinging to a kitchen counter rather than a magnet attracting metal. For investors, it matters because this unwanted sticking can scramble test results, foul medical devices, reduce manufacturing yields, and drive up costs or delay regulatory approval, so companies must solve it to ensure reliable products and predictable financial performance.

metabolomics medical

"development, and metabolomics, proteomics and lipidomics – all areas where both"

Study of the small molecules and chemical patterns produced by cells, tissues or body fluids, often described as the body’s short-term chemical “fingerprint.” It matters to investors because these fingerprints can reveal how a drug or treatment is working, identify disease markers, guide patient selection, or shorten development time—similar to using a snapshot to judge whether a machine is running efficiently and needs adjustment.

proteomics medical

"development, and metabolomics, proteomics and lipidomics – all areas where both"

Proteomics is the large-scale study of all the proteins produced by a cell, tissue or organism, like taking a full inventory and watching how the workforce and machines inside a factory behave. For investors, proteomics matters because it helps identify drug targets, disease indicators and responses to treatments—information that can speed development, reduce risk, guide partnerships and reveal new commercial opportunities in biotech and diagnostics.

lipidomics medical

"development, and metabolomics, proteomics and lipidomics – all areas where both"

The systematic study of all fats and fat-like molecules in cells and tissues, including their types, amounts and how they change over time. Think of it as taking a detailed inventory of the body’s oils to see how they signal disease, respond to drugs or indicate treatment effects; for investors, advances in this field can point to new diagnostics, drug targets or precision-medicine tools that may create commercial opportunities or change the value of companies in healthcare and biotech.

phosphorylated peptides medical

"for those investigating molecules with challenging analyte recovery, such as phosphorylated peptides"

Phosphorylated peptides are short chains of amino acids that have one or more phosphate chemical tags attached; think of them as a string of beads with tiny switches that change how the chain behaves. They matter to investors because these modified peptides act as on/off signals in cells, can serve as disease markers or drug targets, and often determine whether a therapeutic or diagnostic approach will work, affecting clinical success, market value, and regulatory risk.

oligonucleotides medical

"improves recovery for small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides."

Short strands of DNA or RNA designed to bind specific genetic sequences, oligonucleotides act like targeted messages that can turn genes on or off, block harmful proteins, or help detect disease. For investors, they matter because they represent a class of therapeutic and diagnostic products with potential for highly specific treatments, large market value, and distinct development, manufacturing and regulatory risks that can drive big gains or setbacks depending on clinical success and approval.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Headlines:

• Delivers up to 2× higher sensitivity than stainless steel microflow columns, lowering detection and quantitation limits across high-throughput bioseparations, DMPK, and 'omics applications.¹ 
• Uses up to 75% less sample than 2.1 mm I.D. columns, conserving precious materials such as cell and gene therapy and personalized medicine candidates while delivering deeper insights. ² 
• Reduces solvent consumption by up to 4× versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns, helping laboratories meet sustainability goals, lower operating costs, and accelerate time to results without compromising performance. ² 

MILFORD, Mass., Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today launched 1 mm I.D. liquid chromatography (LC) columns with Waters' MaxPeak™ Premier Technology for its ACQUITY™, BioResolve™, and GTxResolve™ Column brands. Significantly improving sensitivity while minimizing solvent and sample waste, the new microflow columns deliver high-quality results across bioanalysis, pharmaceutical discovery and development, and metabolomics, proteomics and lipidomics – all areas where both sample availability and time are limited.

This launch builds on the Company's strong cadence of high-impact chemistry innovation, redefining what is possible in the separation of larger, more complex molecules by exceeding the limits of current technologies.

"Waters continues to invest in the advancement of breakthrough technologies to remove common obstacles for our customers in high-throughput pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical laboratories, accelerating and simplifying the development of life-changing therapies," said Rob Carpio, Senior Vice President, Waters Analytical Sciences, Waters Corporation. "We know that in disciplines such as cell and gene therapy and personalized cancer medicines, sample availability is limited and analyte recovery is critical. Today, we are proud to introduce our new microflow LC columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology that protect these precious assets, while raising the bar on sensitivity, data quality, and reproducibility."

The new microflow LC columns apply Waters' MaxPeak High Performance Surface (HPS) Technology to a 1 mm I.D. format. This significant advancement minimizes nonspecific adsorption (NSA) and improves recovery for small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides. MaxPeak HPS Technology is of particular benefit for those investigating molecules with challenging analyte recovery, such as phosphorylated peptides, by removing analytical barriers and speeding workflows.

"We saw a strong benefit matching, or even exceeding, our analytical sensitivity requirements when switching from 2.1 mm I.D. stainless steel columns to Waters' MaxPeak Premier Technology columns. It's great to have MaxPeak Technology now available in 1 mm I.D. microflow columns. They'll give our metabolomics team the opportunity to save solvent while delivering reproducible, fast, and highly accurate results in high-throughput operations," said Oliver Fiehn, Ph.D., Professor, University of California, Davis.

Using these columns, scientists can consistently expect sharper peaks, enhanced peak capacity, and reduced peak tailing even at low flow rates, along with highly reproducible performance from the very first injection. These benefits significantly reduce the time and variability associated with column passivation in traditional stainless steel column designs. For customers transitioning from 2.1 mm I.D. analytical-scale LC columns to microflow formats, the new 1 mm I.D. columns deliver equivalent or improved sensitivity, while using only one-quarter of the solvent and sample required for analytical flow, helping labs meet their environmental goals while improving analytical performance.

The new 1 mm I.D. columns with Waters' MaxPeak Premier Technology will be available globally beginning February 17, 2026, with immediate shipment.

Additional Resources: Microflow Columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology

Waters, MaxPeak, ACQUITY, BioResolve and GTxResolve are trademarks of Waters Corporation or its affiliates. 

ABOUT: Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide. For more information, please visit www.waters.com/about.

References:

1. Application note: "Enhanced Recovery and Peak Shape of Acidic Peptides with BioResolve™ 1 mm I.D. Columns with MaxPeak™ Premier Technology" 

2. Application note: "Improving Sensitivity and Analytical Method Greenness using MaxPeak™ Premier 1.0 mm I.D. Columns"

Contact: 
Molly Gluck
Head of External Communications
Waters Corporation 
508.498.9732
molly_gluck@waters.com  

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waters-introduces-next-generation-microflow-lc-columns-with-maxpeak-premier-technology-delivering-higher-sensitivity-with-lower-sample-and-solvent-usage-302689226.html

SOURCE Waters Corporation

FAQ

What performance improvement does Waters (WAT) claim for the new 1 mm I.D. MaxPeak Premier columns?

Waters claims the 1 mm I.D. MaxPeak Premier columns deliver up to 2× higher sensitivity versus 2.1 mm I.D. stainless steel columns. According to the company, this improves detection and quantitation limits across bioseparations, DMPK, and 'omics applications.

How much sample and solvent can labs expect to save with Waters' new 1 mm microflow columns (WAT)?

Waters reports the 1 mm microflow columns use up to 75% less sample and reduce solvent consumption by up to 4× versus 2.1 mm I.D. columns. According to the company, this helps conserve precious samples and lower operating costs.

When will Waters (WAT) make the 1 mm I.D. MaxPeak Premier columns available to customers?

The 1 mm I.D. columns with MaxPeak Premier Technology are available globally beginning February 17, 2026, with immediate shipment. According to the company, availability covers ACQUITY, BioResolve, and GTxResolve product families.

Which applications does Waters (WAT) target with the new microflow LC columns?

The new microflow LC columns target bioanalysis, pharmaceutical discovery and development, metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, and DMPK workflows. According to the company, they improve analyte recovery where sample availability and sensitivity are critical.

How do MaxPeak Premier 1 mm columns affect reproducibility and column passivation compared with stainless steel?

Waters says MaxPeak Premier 1 mm columns provide sharper peaks and highly reproducible performance from the first injection, reducing time and variability of column passivation typical with stainless steel designs. According to the company, this speeds workflows and improves data quality.