Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Hits New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Agilent Technologies shares reached a new 52-week high of $160.51 and last traded at $159.55, up from a previous close of $156.30.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $160.24. Morgan Stanley raised its target to $175, while Wells Fargo lowered its target to $160.
• Agilent exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.49 in EPS on $1.83 billion in revenue, with revenue rising 10% year over year. Institutional investors own 87.41% of the company’s shares.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $160.51 and last traded at $159.55, with a volume of 1371818 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $156.30.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on A shares. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Wolfe Research reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised Agilent Technologies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Agilent Technologies from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $160.24.

Agilent Technologies Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average price of $136.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The company has a market capitalization of $45.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.15, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.25.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 27th. The medical research company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 19.55% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The company's revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 EPS. Agilent Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.000-6.100 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.480-1.500 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the second quarter worth about $9,325,000. Thrive Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Agilent Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $218,000. Live Oak Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Live Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 62,500 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $8,302,000 after purchasing an additional 2,220 shares during the last quarter. Investors Research Corp bought a new position in Agilent Technologies during the second quarter worth $51,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Agilent Technologies during the second quarter worth $379,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.41% of the company's stock.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies is a global provider of scientific instrumentation, consumables, software and services for laboratories across the life sciences, diagnostics and applied chemical markets. The company's product portfolio includes analytical instruments such as liquid and gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, spectroscopy systems, and laboratory automation solutions, together with reagents, supplies and informatics tools that support measurement, testing and data analysis workflows. Agilent also offers instrument maintenance, qualification and laboratory services designed to help customers improve productivity and comply with regulatory requirements.

Founded as a corporate spin-off from Hewlett‑Packard in 1999, Agilent has evolved through a combination of strategic restructuring and acquisitions to concentrate on life sciences, diagnostics and applied laboratories.

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