Brokerages Set Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) Target Price at $164.50

Shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $164.50.

Several research analysts have commented on A shares. Evercore upgraded shares of Agilent Technologies from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Citigroup raised their target price on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Agilent Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on Agilent Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price target for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Rodney Gonsalves sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.99, for a total transaction of $464,970.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Agilent Technologies by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,663 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $626,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 15.9% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 5,610 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $602,000 after acquiring an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Agilent Technologies by 54.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 599 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Agilent Technologies by 16.5% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,352 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $625,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Agilent Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $273,000.

Agilent Technologies Stock Performance

Agilent Technologies stock opened at $123.75 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.00 billion, a PE ratio of 27.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.65 and a beta of 1.30. Agilent Technologies has a one year low of $96.43 and a one year high of $160.27. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $137.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $135.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.96.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 24th. The medical research company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 net margin of 18.75% and a return on equity of 25.20%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Agilent Technologies will post 5.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Agilent Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.32%.

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.