Bank of Nova Scotia Purchases Shares of 440,703 Agilent Technologies, Inc. $A

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia acquired 440,703 Agilent Technologies shares worth approximately $58.5 million, giving it a 0.16% stake at the end of the second quarter.
• Analysts maintain a favorable outlook, with Agilent receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $160.24.
• Agilent exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.49 in EPS and $1.83 billion in revenue, up 10% year over year; shares opened at $159.25, near their 52-week high.

Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 440,703 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $58,539,000. Bank of Nova Scotia owned 0.16% of Agilent Technologies at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Core Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Agilent Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their price target on Agilent Technologies from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Agilent Technologies in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Thursday, July 9th. They set a "hold" rating and a $135.00 target price on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $160.24.

Agilent Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of A opened at $159.25 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $137.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $126.23. The stock has a market cap of $44.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.98, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.62. Agilent Technologies, Inc. has a one year low of $108.35 and a one year high of $160.51.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 27th. The medical research company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.08. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 19.55% and a return on equity of 24.33%. The business had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.31 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, equities research analysts expect that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 6.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Agilent Technologies Company Profile

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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