Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Stock Rating Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Agilent Technologies from “buy” to “hold,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $170.33.
• Agilent reported quarterly EPS of $1.62, beating estimates of $1.49, and revenue of $1.88 billion, up 8.1% year over year and above expectations.
• The stock opened at $167.83, near its 12-month high of $177.05; meanwhile, Director Mikael Dolsten sold 634 shares worth approximately $96,000.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $170.33.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of A opened at $167.83 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $152.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $133.41. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.21. Agilent Technologies has a 12-month low of $108.35 and a 12-month high of $177.05.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 19.53%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.37 earnings per share. 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. Equities research analysts expect that Agilent Technologies will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Agilent Technologies

In related news, Director Mikael Dolsten sold 634 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.38, for a total value of $95,974.92. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $745,395.12. This represents a 11.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new stake in Agilent Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth about $58,539,000. Dudley & Shanley Inc. raised its stake in Agilent Technologies by 25.9% in the 2nd quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. now owns 69,500 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $9,232,000 after purchasing an additional 14,300 shares during the last quarter. BIP Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Agilent Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $834,000. Capricorn Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the first quarter valued at approximately $8,161,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,818,000.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies, Inc is an analytical measurement and laboratory technology company serving the life sciences, diagnostics, pharmaceutical, chemical, environmental, food, energy and academic research markets. Its solutions help laboratories analyze the composition, quality and performance of materials, biological samples and other substances.

The company's products and services include liquid and gas chromatography systems, mass spectrometry instruments, spectroscopy equipment, laboratory automation tools, software, consumables and supplies.

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