Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) Hits New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $164.29 and last traded at $164.7590, with a volume of 368968 shares. The stock had previously closed at $161.94.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Agilent Technologies from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Agilent Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $170.33.

Agilent Technologies Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $46.88 billion, a PE ratio of 32.75, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The business has a 50-day moving average of $146.35 and a 200 day moving average of $130.04.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The medical research company reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.13. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 19.53%.The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. Agilent Technologies has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.710-1.740 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.180-6.210 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 6.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th will be given a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 6th. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Agilent Technologies’s payout ratio is presently 20.08%.

Insider Transactions at Agilent Technologies

In other news, Director Mikael Dolsten sold 634 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.38, for a total value of $95,974.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,924 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $745,395.12. This trade represents a 11.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Agilent Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in Agilent Technologies by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 163,805 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $21,758,000 after purchasing an additional 14,435 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Agilent Technologies by 14.3% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48,278 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $6,413,000 after purchasing an additional 6,041 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 275,185 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $36,553,000 after acquiring an additional 18,128 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service lifted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 469,501 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $62,364,000 after purchasing an additional 30,730 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its stake in Agilent Technologies by 10.1% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 126,957 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $16,864,000 after buying an additional 11,668 shares during the period.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies, Inc is a global provider of analytical instruments, laboratory software, consumables and services used by organizations in the life sciences, diagnostics, pharmaceutical, chemical, environmental and food industries. Its solutions help customers analyze the composition and quality of substances, develop and manufacture products, and conduct research and testing.

The company’s offerings include liquid and gas chromatography systems, mass spectrometry instruments, spectroscopy and atomic analysis equipment, automated electrophoresis systems, laboratory informatics software, columns and other consumables.