Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Acquires New Shares in Agilent Technologies, Inc. $A

Key Points

• Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec acquired 12,763 Agilent Technologies shares worth approximately $1.7 million during the second quarter, joining other institutions that increased or initiated positions.
• Agilent exceeded quarterly expectations with EPS of $1.62 and revenue of approximately $1.88 billion, up 8.1% year over year; management also raised its full-year guidance.
• Analysts remain generally bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average price target of $170.33, though Agilent’s valuation—about 30 times earnings and a PEG ratio above 2.7—leaves the stock vulnerable to slower growth or weaker guidance.

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec bought a new stake in Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 12,763 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $1,695,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Agilent Technologies by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 599,581 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $82,712,000 after purchasing an additional 24,687 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies during the second quarter worth $58,539,000. Dudley & Shanley Inc. grew its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 14,300 shares during the period. BIP Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at $834,000. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Agilent Technologies by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 33,918 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $4,615,000 after buying an additional 9,615 shares in the last quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group began 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. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. HSBC dropped their price target on Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $170.33.

Trending Headlines about Agilent Technologies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Agilent reported fiscal Q3 earnings of $1.62 per share, above the $1.48-$1.49 analyst consensus, while revenue of approximately $1.88 billion also exceeded expectations. EPS increased from $1.37 a year earlier, supporting the view that profitability is improving. Agilent Technologies Q3 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year guidance following the strong quarter. Commentary highlighted product momentum, a recovery in China, improving demand and expanding margins, all of which could support additional earnings growth. Agilent Technologies Lifts Outlook After Strong Quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Several major firms raised their price targets and maintained bullish ratings after the results. Targets now range from $175 to $190, with upgrades from JPMorgan, Citi, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Stifel, TD Cowen, Bernstein and RBC. Analysts Raise Agilent Technologies Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the improved outlook, valuation remains relatively demanding: Agilent trades at roughly 30 times earnings, with a PEG ratio above 2.7. This leaves the stock sensitive to any slowdown in demand or disappointment in future guidance.

Agilent Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE A opened at $154.47 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $43.63 billion, a PE ratio of 30.41, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Agilent Technologies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $108.35 and a 1-year high of $163.75. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $140.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.04.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 19.53%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.37 EPS. 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. Research analysts predict that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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