
Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A)
Agilent Technologies provides the high-tech laboratory instruments and software that scientists use to test everything from food safety to new medicines.
Is Agilent Technologies, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Agilent Technologies provides the high-tech laboratory instruments and software that scientists use to test everything from food safety to new medicines.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Agilent becomes the industry standard for new biotech testing.
New competitors offering cheaper, high-tech alternatives.
What does Agilent Technologies, Inc. do?
Think of Agilent as the 'picks and shovels' provider for the scientific world, supplying the complex tools researchers need to analyse chemicals and biological samples. Its earnings come from selling these precision instruments alongside the ongoing service contracts and software that keep them running. Much hinges on how much money pharmaceutical companies and research labs are willing to spend on upgrading their equipment each year.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and growth, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 0.7% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 10% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 20% of sales into profit
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 21%)
- Strong profit margins suggest a healthy, efficient business.
- Essential role in the pharmaceutical and research supply chain.
- High return on equity shows effective use of shareholder capital.
- Global economic slowdowns often lead to reduced research budgets.
- Rapid technological changes could make current products obsolete.
- Heavy reliance on the healthcare and life sciences sectors.
What do Agilent Technologies, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Agilent Technologies, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Agilent Technologies, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Agilent Technologies, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 0.7% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Agilent Technologies, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Agilent Technologies, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-26 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-27 | $1.41 | $1.49 | Beat +6% |
| 2026-02-25 | $1.37 | $1.36 | In line |
| 2025-11-24 | $1.58 | $1.59 | In line |
| 2025-08-27 | $1.37 | $1.37 | In line |
| 2025-05-28 | $1.26 | $1.31 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-02-26 | $1.27 | $1.31 | Beat +3% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Agilent Technologies, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 3 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
More in Healthcare
What are the scenarios for Agilent Technologies, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Agilent Technologies, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong profit margins suggest a healthy, efficient business.
- Essential role in the pharmaceutical and research supply chain.
- High return on equity shows effective use of shareholder capital.
- The share price is more volatile than the average company.
- Relies heavily on the spending budgets of other large organisations.
- A relatively low dividend yield may not appeal to income-focused investors.
- Global economic slowdowns often lead to reduced research budgets.
- Rapid technological changes could make current products obsolete.
- Heavy reliance on the healthcare and life sciences sectors.
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant, sustained drop in global pharmaceutical research spending.
- A major competitor launching a disruptive, lower-cost technology.
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.