Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) - What Are Analysts Saying About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is positive: Eighteen of 22 covering firms rate Agilent Technologies a buy, while four recommend hold, giving the stock a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating.
• The average 12-month price target is $181.45; recent targets include Deutsche Bank’s $190 and Wells Fargo’s $180.
• Agilent beat quarterly estimates, reporting EPS of $1.62 versus $1.49 expected and revenue of $1.88 billion, up 8.1% year over year.

Shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-two ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $181.45.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on A. Weiss Ratings raised Agilent Technologies from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank initiated coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Monday, October 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Agilent Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, October 17th. HSBC lifted their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 28th.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 0.6%

A traded up $0.97 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $173.99. 1,415,195 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,113,410. The stock has a market cap of $49.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.25, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.24. Agilent Technologies has a 1-year low of $108.35 and a 1-year high of $182.99. The stock's 50-day moving average is $168.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $138.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The medical research company reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.37 earnings per share. Agilent Technologies's revenue 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 predict that Agilent Technologies will post 6.20 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th were given a $0.2550 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 6th. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Agilent Technologies's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.08%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mikael Dolsten sold 634 shares of Agilent Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.38, for a total value of $95,974.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,924 shares in the company, valued at approximately $745,395.12. The trade was a 11.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Markowski Investments bought a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Agilent Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Signature Equity Partners LLC raised its stake in Agilent Technologies by 172.7% during the third quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 180 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new position in Agilent Technologies during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Agilent Technologies during the second quarter worth about $43,000.

Agilent Technologies Company Profile

Agilent Technologies develops and supplies instruments, software, services and consumables used in laboratories and manufacturing operations. Its offerings support applications in life sciences, diagnostics, chemical analysis, food safety, environmental testing and pharmaceutical research. The company serves customers worldwide, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical and academic laboratories, and organizations in the chemical, energy and food industries. Its services include laboratory equipment maintenance, technical support and related workflow solutions.

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