Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $164.50.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup increased their price target on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock.

Agilent Technologies Price Performance

Agilent Technologies stock opened at $124.86 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Agilent Technologies has a 52-week low of $96.43 and a 52-week high of $160.27. The firm has a market cap of $35.32 billion, a PE ratio of 27.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 1.30. The company’s 50 day moving average is $138.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.25.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last posted 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 business had revenue of $1.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.83 billion. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 18.75% and a return on equity of 25.20%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.46 earnings per share. 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, research analysts expect that Agilent Technologies will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.255 per share. 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, March 31st. Agilent Technologies’s payout ratio is 22.32%.

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $549,158,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Agilent Technologies by 13.8% during the 4th 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 buying an additional 1,713,216 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Agilent Technologies by 424.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,041,826 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $240,956,000 after buying an additional 1,652,244 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Agilent Technologies by 132.2% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,354,111 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $277,807,000 after buying an additional 1,340,161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Troy Asset Management Ltd lifted its stake in Agilent Technologies by 74.3% in the second quarter. Troy Asset Management Ltd now owns 2,397,820 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $282,967,000 after buying an additional 1,021,865 shares during the last quarter.

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.