Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The medical research company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.01), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 18.75% and a return on equity of 25.20%. Agilent Technologies updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.900-6.040 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance to 1.390-1.420 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Agilent Technologies’ conference call:

• Agilent reported $1.8B in Q1 revenue with 4.4% core growth, a 24.6% operating margin and EPS of $1.36; management says results (and guidance) would have been above midpoint absent a ~$10M weather disruption.
• The company’s Ignite operating system is a key margin lever — management says it has doubled pricing realization, generated procurement savings, reduced tariff impact and will drive sequential margin improvement and ~75 bps of full‑year expansion at the midpoint.
• Product and services momentum is strong: Altura columns have doubled bio column growth (>30%), Pro iQ single‑quad LC‑MS grew >40%, new diagnostics/security product wins (including a $9M TSA contract) and enterprise services are driving customer wins and recurring wallet share.
• Risks remain: tariffs and tariff timing are an ongoing headwind, the quarter saw softness in academia & government (‑8%) and food (‑4%), and regional/transient purchasing disruptions (weather, Europe tariff concerns) could pressure near‑term results.

Agilent Technologies Stock Performance

A traded up $0.45 on Wednesday, hitting $124.85. 2,465,548 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,096,943. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.31 billion, a PE ratio of 27.32, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a 50 day moving average of $135.55 and a 200-day moving average of $136.05. Agilent Technologies has a 12-month low of $96.43 and a 12-month high of $160.27.

Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued 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 0.8%. Agilent Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.32%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in A. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 424.1% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,041,826 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $240,956,000 after purchasing an additional 1,652,244 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in Agilent Technologies by 132.2% during 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 acquiring an additional 1,340,161 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley increased 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 worth $686,049,000 after purchasing an additional 692,202 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,590,715 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $352,519,000 after acquiring an additional 627,804 shares during the period. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 639.4% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 678,718 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $80,093,000 after purchasing an additional 586,931 shares in the last quarter.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. HSBC began coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Agilent Technologies from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Barclays upgraded shares of Agilent Technologies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $165.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Agilent Technologies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.50.

Key Agilent Technologies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval supports diagnostic growth — Agilent’s PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx (Code SK006) received U.S. FDA authorization, reinforcing the company’s position in companion diagnostics and supporting longer‑term revenue potential. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) Sparks Confidence With Latest Approvals
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive — multiple buy/overweight ratings and a median price target near $170 signal upside expectations relative to today’s level, providing a positive backdrop for the stock. Agilent Technologies Inc. (A) Releases Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance broadly in line — Agilent issued Q2 EPS guidance of $1.390–1.420 (consensus ~$1.40) and FY26 EPS of $5.900–6.040 (consensus ~$5.93), with FY revenue guided to ~$7.3–7.5B. The outlook is roughly consistent with Street expectations, which helps stabilize sentiment but limits surprise upside. Agilent reports in-line first quarter, says results hurt by US snowstorm
• Neutral Sentiment: Company cites one-off weather headwind — management said U.S. snowstorms disrupted customer access to labs and hurt Q1 results, which suggests part of the weakness may be temporary. Agilent reports in-line first quarter, says results hurt by US snowstorm
• Negative Sentiment: Small EPS/revenue miss and weaker cash flow — Agilent reported Q1 revenue of ~$1.80B (below the ~$1.81B consensus) and non‑GAAP EPS ~$1.36 (missed by $0.01). Third‑party data highlights declines in operating profit and a sizable drop in cash from operations year‑over‑year, which could concern near‑term margin and free‑cash‑flow expectations. Agilent Technologies Inc. (A) Releases Q1 2026 Earnings: Revenue Up, EPS and Operating Cash Flow Miss

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.