Sanford C. Bernstein Upgrades Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) to Strong-Buy

Key Points

• Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Agilent Technologies to a strong-buy rating, reinforcing a more bullish view on the stock. The article also notes Bernstein previously set a $155 price target in related coverage.
• Agilent’s latest earnings were solid: it reported $1.49 EPS versus the $1.41 estimate and revenue of $1.83 billion, both ahead of expectations. The company also raised/confirmed outlook, guiding FY2026 EPS to 6.00–6.10.
• Sentiment remains broadly positive among analysts and institutions, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a consensus price target of $160.88. Recent activity also includes other analyst target changes and Agilent’s completion of the Biocare Medical acquisition, which could support longer-term growth.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Agilent Technologies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $160.88.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 0.6%

A opened at $136.29 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $38.49 billion, a PE ratio of 27.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Agilent Technologies has a 52 week low of $108.35 and a 52 week high of $160.27. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $122.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.32.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 27th. The medical research company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.31 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, research analysts expect that Agilent Technologies will post 6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Agilent Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 13.8% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 14,147,601 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $1,925,064,000 after purchasing an additional 1,713,216 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,681,792 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,725,611,000 after buying an additional 241,029 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,380,521 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,203,990,000 after buying an additional 433,342 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Agilent Technologies by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,425,861 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,006,519,000 after buying an additional 25,139 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted its position in Agilent Technologies by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,041,881 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $686,049,000 after buying an additional 692,202 shares during the period.

Agilent Technologies News Summary

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 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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