Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) has recently garnered an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from fifteen analysts, according to a report by Bloomberg.com. Out of the fifteen analysts covering the stock, one analyst has given a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, and eleven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. Moreover, brokers have updated their coverage on the stock in the past year and have set an average 12-month price target at $148.12.
In other news related to Agilent Technologies, CEO Michael R. McMullen recently sold 944 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that took place on Thursday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00 each, resulting in a total transaction amount of $122,720.00. Following this transaction, McMullen now directly owns 260,869 shares of Agilent Technologies’ stock with an approximate value of $33,912,970. The disclosure of this transaction was made in accordance with legal filing requirements and can be accessed on the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) website.
Additionally, another executive of Agilent Technologies also sold company stock recently. VP Rodney Gonsalves sold 3,500 shares on Wednesday, August 23rd at an average price of $118.78 per share, accumulating to a total value of $415,730.00. After this sale was completed, Gonsalves now possesses 24,219 shares valued at approximately $2,876,732.82.
Agilent Technologies last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 15th. For the quarter reported in this announcement periodical release date is September 22nd., the medical research company posted earnings per share (EPS) amounting to $1.43 which exceeded analysts’ consensus estimates by $0.07 as they had expected earnings per share of $1.36. The company also generated revenue totaling $1.67 billion, slightly surpassing analysts’ expectations of $1.66 billion for the quarter.
With a return on equity of 29.86% and a net margin of 16.20%, Agilent Technologies demonstrated its continued strength and stability in the industry. However, it is worth noting that the company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same period last year, when the firm earned $1.34 EPS.
Looking ahead, research analysts are forecasting that Agilent Technologies will post earnings per share of 5.42 for the entirety of this current year.
Investors and stakeholders alike will be closely monitoring the performance and future developments of Agilent Technologies as it continues to navigate through these challenging economic times and technological advancements within the medical research industry.
This article was written based on up-to-date information as of September 22, 2023, and should be consulted for reference purposes only.
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Agilent Technologies Faces Diverging Analyst Opinions as Third Quarter Comes to a Close
As the third quarter of 2023 approaches its end, Agilent Technologies, a leading medical research company, finds itself embroiled in a juxtaposition of varying opinions from equities analysts. The stock has been subject to intense scrutiny and evaluation, prompting numerous assessments regarding its performance and future prospects.
One notable review came from Evercore ISI, as they lowered their price objective on Agilent Technologies shares from $124.00 to $120.00. In their research report on August 16th, they assigned an “in-line” rating for the company. Similarly, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price from $144.00 to $140.00 and designated an “outperform” rating for the stock.
On the other hand, Barclays took a different stance by reducing its price target from $115.00 to $110.00 and issuing an “underweight” rating. JPMorgan Chase & Co., however, exhibited optimism despite lowering their price projection to $150.00 while maintaining an “overweight” rating on Agilent Technologies.
Notably, TD Cowen decided to raise their price objective on the shares from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a positive outlook with an “outperform” rating.
Institutional investors have also played a role in shaping Agilent Technologies’ landscape recently by either increasing or decreasing their stakes in the company. Natixis Investment Managers International augmented its position by 2% during the fourth quarter and now owns 3,245 shares valued at approximately $486,000.
Furthermore, First Command Financial Services Inc., Park Place Capital Corp, Securian Asset Management Inc., and JGP Global Gestao de Recursos Ltda all made adjustments to their positions in Agilent Technologies.
On Friday’s opening trade session, Agilent Technologies commenced trading at $109.74 amidst these intricate evaluations by analysts and fluctuations caused by institutional investors. The stock’s performance has been closely monitored, with a fifty-day moving average of $121.23 and a two-hundred-day moving average of $125.94.
With a market capitalization of $32.11 billion, Agilent Technologies operates with a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.73 and a PEG ratio of 2.07, signifying its potential profitability. The company maintains a beta value of 1.03, indicating its sensitivity to market fluctuations compared to the broader market.
It is worth noting that Agilent Technologies’ stock has experienced volatility over the past year, reaching both highs and lows. While the fifty-two week low stood at $109.00, the stock peaked at $160.26 during this period.
Additionally, Agilent Technologies’ financial structure exhibits a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, reflecting its moderate leverage in funding operations and growth initiatives. Moreover, the company boasts favorable liquidity ratios with a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.29.
As analysts weigh in on Agilent Technologies and institutional investors determine their positions in the company, market participants continue to observe how these factors will impact its future trajectory and overall performance in the market as September nears its conclusion.
