UBS Group Begins Coverage on Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A)

Key Points

• UBS Group initiated coverage of Agilent Technologies with a “neutral” rating and a $165 price target, implying 14.5% upside from the prior close.
• Agilent’s shares fell 1.9% to $144.10, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $170.33.
• The company recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.62 in EPS versus $1.49 expected and $1.88 billion in revenue, up 8.1% year over year; institutional investors own 87.41% of its shares.

UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) in a note issued to investors on Wednesday. The brokerage set a "neutral" rating and a $165.00 price target on the medical research company's stock. UBS Group's target price indicates a potential upside of 14.50% from the stock's previous close.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. HSBC decreased their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $170.33.

Agilent Technologies Stock Down 1.9%

A stock traded down $2.75 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $144.10. 90,060 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,237,644. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.36, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.24. Agilent Technologies has a 1 year low of $108.35 and a 1 year high of $163.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $142.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $128.22.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last announced 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 return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 19.53%.The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.37 EPS. The business'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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Agilent Technologies will post 6.2 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in A. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Agilent Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Agilent Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Markowski Investments acquired a new position in Agilent Technologies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 87.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Agilent Technologies Company Profile

Agilent Technologies, Inc is a global provider of laboratory instruments, software, services and consumables used in scientific research, diagnostics and industrial testing. The company's products support the analysis of chemical and biological substances, including liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, automation and related laboratory systems.

Agilent serves customers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, chemical and energy production, food and environmental testing, academia, government laboratories and clinical research.

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