Sanford C. Bernstein Upgrades Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) to “Strong-Buy”

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) was upgraded by investment analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on A. Wall Street Zen upgraded Agilent Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Agilent Technologies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $160.88.

Agilent Technologies Stock Up 0.6%

A stock opened at $136.29 on Thursday. Agilent Technologies has a twelve month low of $108.35 and a twelve month high of $160.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The company has a market cap of $38.49 billion, a PE ratio of 27.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.26. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $122.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.32.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 27th. The medical research company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.08. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.33% and a net margin of 19.55%.The firm had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.31 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Agilent Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.000-6.100 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.480-1.500 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Agilent Technologies will post 6 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bridgefront Capital LLC bought a new position in Agilent Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,323,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Agilent Technologies by 4.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,380,521 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,203,990,000 after buying an additional 433,342 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 599,581 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $82,712,000 after buying an additional 24,687 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 33.3% during the third quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 895,770 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $114,972,000 after buying an additional 223,750 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Andra AP fonden increased its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 32.5% during the third quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 132,900 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $17,058,000 after buying an additional 32,600 shares in the last quarter.

Agilent Technologies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Agilent completed its acquisition of Biocare Medical, strengthening its diagnostics and clinical pathology offerings and potentially improving long-term growth prospects. Agilent finalizes Biocare Medical takeover
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage with an outperform rating and a $155 price target, which may bolster investor confidence in additional share price upside. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Agilent’s post-earnings resilience, reflecting steady investor interest after the company beat expectations and raised/confirmed guidance. Why Is Agilent (A) Up 0.1% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler initiated coverage at Neutral with a $150 target, which is supportive but less bullish than Bernstein’s call. Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) Initiated at Neutral With $150 Price Target by Piper Sandler
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about dividend reliability and broader adoption of Agilent software suggest steady fundamentals, but they are less likely to drive a major near-term stock move. Is Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Still A Reliable Dividend Story? Shanghai ICRD Adopts Agilent Software
• Neutral Sentiment: Agilent’s stock has been trading with modest strength following the earnings release, but the move appears tied more to execution and sentiment than to any single dramatic catalyst. Agilent (A) stock trades up, here is why

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.