Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Now Covered by Analysts at HSBC

HSBC assumed coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) in a report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $180.00 target price on the medical research company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on A. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of Agilent Technologies to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Agilent Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Agilent Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $170.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI raised Agilent Technologies from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $155.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on Agilent Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $165.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.50.

Agilent Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE A opened at $135.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.96 and a quick ratio of 1.52. Agilent Technologies has a 1-year low of $96.43 and a 1-year high of $160.27. The company has a market capitalization of $38.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.70, a PEG ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 1.29. The business has a 50-day moving average of $144.00 and a 200-day moving average of $133.77.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The medical research company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 25.20% and a net margin of 18.75%.Agilent Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. Agilent Technologies has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.380 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.860-6.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Agilent Technologies will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 6th will be issued a $0.255 dividend. This is a boost from Agilent Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 6th. Agilent Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.32%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Rodney Gonsalves sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.99, for a total value of $464,970.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 31,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,935,811.54. This trade represents a 8.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Padraig Mcdonnell sold 911 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.24, for a total transaction of $130,491.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 32,058 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,591,987.92. This represents a 2.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 16,401 shares of company stock worth $2,468,962 over the last three months.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of A. Ethos Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $300,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,708 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $641,000 after buying an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in Agilent Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $97,000. Ascent Group LLC raised its stake in Agilent Technologies by 18.8% during the 4th quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 2,299 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $313,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Savvy Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Agilent Technologies by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 1,959 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $267,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period.

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.