Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stifel Nicolaus Analyst Says

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus raised Agilent Technologies’ price target to $180 from $170 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 14.49% upside from the reported share price.
• Agilent exceeded quarterly expectations with $1.62 in EPS and $1.88 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 8.1% year over year. The company provided fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $6.18–$6.21.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $170.33; 87.41% of the stock is held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus from $170.00 to $180.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the medical research company's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective would indicate a potential upside of 14.49% from the stock's current price.

A has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Agilent Technologies in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. They set a "hold" rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. HSBC reduced their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Agilent Technologies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $170.33.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 1.4%

A traded up $2.13 on Thursday, reaching $157.22. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,992,931 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,232,849. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Agilent Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $108.35 and a fifty-two week high of $163.75. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $139.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $126.65. The company has a market capitalization of $44.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.25.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The medical research company reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.13. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 19.55% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.37 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. Agilent Technologies has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.710-1.740 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.180-6.210 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Agilent Technologies will post 6.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,663 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $626,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 5,610 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $602,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Agilent Technologies by 54.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 599 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in Agilent Technologies by 16.5% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,352 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $625,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $273,000. 87.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Agilent Technologies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Agilent Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Agilent reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $1.88 billion, up 8.1% year over year and above the $1.84 billion consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $1.62 also exceeded expectations of $1.49, while earnings rose from $1.37 a year earlier. Operating profit and cash flow improved, supporting the view that demand for laboratory, pharmaceutical research, and analytical instruments is recovering. Agilent Reports Third-Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its fiscal 2026 outlook to adjusted EPS of $6.18-$6.21, above the $6.06 analyst consensus, and forecast revenue of approximately $7.5 billion versus expectations of $7.4 billion. Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $1.71-$1.74 was at or above consensus, reinforcing confidence in improving demand and expanding margins. Agilent raises annual profit forecast on improving lab tools demand
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets and adopted bullish ratings following the results. JPMorgan lifted its target to $190 and rated the stock “overweight”; RBC raised its target to $185 with an “outperform” rating; and TD Cowen and Bernstein increased targets to $180, with “buy” and “outperform” ratings, respectively. The revisions signal that analysts see additional upside after the earnings beat and guidance increase. Analyst price-target revisions reported by Benzinga

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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