Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A), headquartered in Santa Clara, California, provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. Valued at $38.5 billion by market cap, the company offers electronic and bio-analytical measurement, semiconductor, and board testing.
Shares of this global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies have underperformed the broader market over the past year. A has gained 6.1% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 32.1%. In 2024, A stock is down 3.4%, compared to the SPX’s 26.2% rise on a YTD basis.
Narrowing the focus, A’s underperformance is apparent compared to the Robo Global Healthcare Technology and Innovation ETF (HTEC). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 17.5% over the past year. Moreover, the ETF’s 5.4% gains on a YTD basis outshine the stock’s losses over the same time frame.
On Nov. 25, A shares closed up marginally after reporting its Q4 results. Its adjusted EPS of $1.46 beat Wall Street expectations of $1.41. The company’s revenue was $1.7 billion, surpassing Wall Street forecasts of $1.67 billion. For Q1, Agilent expects its adjusted EPS to range from $1.25 to $1.28, and expects revenue in the range of $1.65 billion to $1.68 billion. Agilent expects full-year adjusted EPS to be between $5.54 and $5.61, and expects revenue to be $6.8 billion to $6.9 billion.
For the current fiscal year, ended in October, analysts expect A’s EPS to decline 3.7% to $5.24 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 16 analysts covering A stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on eight “Strong Buy” ratings, seven “Holds,” and one “Strong Sell.”
This configuration is more bullish than three months ago, with seven analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On Nov. 26, Evercore ISI kept an “In Line” rating and lowered the price target on A to $142, implying a potential upside of 5.7% from current levels.
The mean price target of $151 represents a 12.4% premium to A’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $165 suggests an ambitious upside potential of 22.8%.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here. More news from Barchart- 1 Quantum Computing Stock to Grab While It's Still Under $10
- Can Amazon Stock Join the $3 Trillion Market Cap Club Under Trump?
- Walmart vs. Target: Which Retail Stock is a Better Buy Right Now?
- Don't Overlook This Midstream Energy Dividend Stock, Says Analyst
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
