Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

A has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays dropped their price target on Agilent Technologies from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price 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. HSBC started coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price target for the company. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Agilent Technologies from $170.00 to $157.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $163.71.

Agilent Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of A opened at $115.52 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $115.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $131.97. Agilent Technologies has a 12 month low of $106.79 and a 12 month high of $160.27. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.22.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The medical research company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.01). Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 18.26% and a return on equity of 24.49%. The business had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.31 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, analysts predict that Agilent Technologies will post 5.95 EPS for the current year.

Agilent Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.255 dividend. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. Agilent Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.52%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Core Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Agilent Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Agilent Technologies in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000.

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.