Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Agilent Technologies has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with a price target of approximately $139.77.
• CEO Padraig Mcdonnell sold 1,508 shares of the company's stock, representing a 3.87% decrease in his position, after selling shares at an average price of $117.44.
• The company reported a 6% increase in revenue year-over-year, achieving earnings per share of $1.31 for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations.

Shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $138.8333.

A has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Agilent Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 28th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies to $150.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $159.00 to $140.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Leerink Partners raised their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 29th.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of A traded up $0.53 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $118.83. The stock had a trading volume of 1,690,137 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,274,930. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 2.09 and a quick ratio of 1.60. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $117.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.22. Agilent Technologies has a 1-year low of $96.43 and a 1-year high of $153.84.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 27th. The medical research company reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.37. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 25.92% and a net margin of 17.59%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. Agilent Technologies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.560-5.590 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 1.570-1.600 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Agilent Technologies will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Padraig Mcdonnell sold 1,508 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.44, for a total value of $177,099.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 37,448 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,397,893.12. This trade represents a 3.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Agilent Technologies by 20.8% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 11,784 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $1,391,000 after buying an additional 2,028 shares in the last quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH bought a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,805,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $305,000. Marex Group plc bought a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $580,000. Finally, State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies, Inc provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers liquid chromatography systems and components; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry systems; gas chromatography systems and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instruments; atomic absorption instruments; microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry instruments; raman spectroscopy; cell analysis plate based assays; flow cytometer; real-time cell analyzer; cell imaging systems; microplate reader; laboratory software; information management and analytics; laboratory automation and robotic systems; dissolution testing; and vacuum pumps, and measurement technologies.