Agilent Technologies, Inc. $A Shares Sold by Scharf Investments LLC

Scharf Investments LLC decreased its holdings in Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 531,223 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 36,593 shares during the quarter. Agilent Technologies makes up 1.9% of Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings in Agilent Technologies were worth $72,285,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of A. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,663 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $626,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Agilent Technologies by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 5,610 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $602,000 after acquiring an additional 769 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Agilent Technologies by 54.8% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 599 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised 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 worth $625,000 after acquiring an additional 758 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Agilent Technologies during the second quarter worth $273,000.

Agilent Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE A opened at $113.90 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $122.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $134.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.31. Agilent Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $96.43 and a 52 week high of $160.27.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The medical research company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.01). Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 24.49% and a net margin of 18.26%.The business had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Agilent Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.900-6.040 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.390-1.420 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 5.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business 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 $0.255 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Agilent Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 22.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on A shares. HSBC assumed coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Agilent Technologies in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $170.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Agilent Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Agilent Technologies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $161.20.

Agilent Technologies 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.