Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Trims Holdings in Agilent Technologies, Inc. $A

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management cut its Agilent Technologies stake by 25% in the first quarter, selling 1.17 million shares and ending with 3.50 million shares valued at about $398.6 million.
• Agilent recently delivered better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.49 versus $1.41 expected and revenue of $1.83 billion, up 10% year over year. The company also raised/confirmed guidance, with FY2026 EPS guidance set at $6.00 to $6.10.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly positive: the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $160.88, while recent calls included an Outperform from Sanford C. Bernstein and Neutral from Piper Sandler.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA reduced its stake in Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A - Free Report) by 25.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,497,319 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 1,167,562 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 1.24% of Agilent Technologies worth $398,609,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Agilent Technologies during the first quarter worth $635,000. VCI Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the first quarter valued at $1,472,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the first quarter valued at $1,641,000. First American Bank raised its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. First American Bank now owns 11,938 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,361,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the period. Finally, Live Oak Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Live Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 60,280 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $6,871,000 after buying an additional 6,722 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Agilent Technologies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wolfe Research reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on Agilent Technologies from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $160.88.

Key Agilent Technologies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Agilent completed its acquisition of Biocare Medical, strengthening its diagnostics and clinical pathology offerings and potentially improving long-term growth prospects. Agilent finalizes Biocare Medical takeover
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage with an outperform rating and a $155 price target, which may bolster investor confidence in additional share price upside. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Agilent’s post-earnings resilience, reflecting steady investor interest after the company beat expectations and raised/confirmed guidance. Why Is Agilent (A) Up 0.1% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler initiated coverage at Neutral with a $150 target, which is supportive but less bullish than Bernstein’s call. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) Initiated at Neutral With $150 Price Target by Piper Sandler
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about dividend reliability and broader adoption of Agilent software suggest steady fundamentals, but they are less likely to drive a major near-term stock move. Is Agilent Technologies NYSE: A Still A Reliable Dividend Story? Shanghai ICRD Adopts Agilent Software
• Neutral Sentiment: Agilent’s stock has been trading with modest strength following the earnings release, but the move appears tied more to execution and sentiment than to any single dramatic catalyst. Agilent (A) stock trades up, here is why

Agilent Technologies Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of A stock opened at $136.29 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average is $122.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $126.32. Agilent Technologies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $108.35 and a twelve month high of $160.27. The company has a market capitalization of $38.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 27th. The medical research company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.08. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.33% and a net margin of 19.55%.The business had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.31 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities analysts forecast that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 6 EPS for the current year.

Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Agilent Technologies's dividend payout ratio is presently 20.48%.

Agilent Technologies 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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