Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Price Target Cut to $160.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) had its target price reduced by Morgan Stanley from $180.00 to $160.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the medical research company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Bank of America lifted their price objective 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. upped their target price on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. HSBC assumed coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $161.20.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:A opened at $118.92 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $133.87 and its 200 day moving average is $136.15. The stock has a market cap of $33.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.31. Agilent Technologies has a 52-week low of $96.43 and a 52-week high of $160.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The medical research company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.01). Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.49% and a net margin of 18.26%.The firm had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 earnings per share. Agilent Technologies’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Agilent Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.900-6.040 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.390-1.420 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Agilent Technologies will post 5.58 EPS for the current year.

Agilent Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Agilent Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 22.52%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital A Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 10,600.0% in the 2nd quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 214 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Agilent Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new stake in Agilent Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in Agilent Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000.

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.