Agilent Technologies (A), a business dedicated to electronics used in chemical and biological testing, issued its fiscal first-quarter numbers after the bell today. The initial market reaction following the release was bearish: the shares were off by 1.8% to $44.

That might be a disappointment to those who own the company. The 52-week low for the shares is $26.68 while the 52-week high is $45.42. The stock is obviously near its top point for the year, so there was arguably some optimism in the air for the prospects of the price movement during the extended-hours session. Looking at the chart, it can be seen that Agilent has been on a notable run-up for a while.

Continue reading Agilent Technologies Reports Q1 Results

Agilent Technologies Reports Q1 Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After testifying before a Senate committee about AIG (NYSE: AIG) last week, the Fed's Ben Bernanke participates in a Council of Foreign Relations event Monday evening.

Economic data due to be released this week include wholesale trade and job vacancies for January on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Treasury budget for February on Wednesday, retail sales for February and business inventories for January on Thursday morning, and the U.S. trade balance for January on Friday morning.

Continue reading The week in preview: Bernanke, earnings winners, and Raymond James conference

The week in preview: Bernanke, earnings winners, and Raymond James conference originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) provides electronic measurement and bio-analytical solutions to the communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis industries. Its Electronic Measurement segment offers such instruments as data generators, multimeters, and oscilloscopes. The Bio-Analytical Measurement unit sells instruments, software, consumables and services for quantifying the physical and biological properties of substances. Customers include Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) and Merck (NYSE: MRK). The firm was a 1999 spin-off of Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ).

Agilent pleased investors last week, when it announced fiscal Q2 EPS of 51 cents and revenues of $1.46 billion. Analysts had been looking for 48 cents and $1.43 billion. Management also guided Q3 EPS to 52-56 cents (55 cent consensus), Q3 revenues to $1.44-$1.49 billion ($1.46B consensus), FY08 EPS to $2.07-$2.15 ($2.08 consensus) and FY08 revenues to $5.82-$5.93 billion ($5.83B consensus). Needham subsequently reiterated its "buy" recommendation and boosted its price target to $42. Standard & Poor's raised its Agilent outlook from "stable" to "positive".

Continue reading Agilent Technologies (A): Shares forming bullish 'flag'

Agilent Technologies (A): Shares forming bullish 'flag' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 May 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Agilent Tech. (A) soars on Q4 earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tech stocks seem to be the ones to watch. Among companies reporting earnings next week are Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) and Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A), and here are quickie earnings previews for them.

Applied Materials' five-year earnings per share growth of 45.7 percent is better than the semiconductors industry average and the S&P 500. Applied Materials beat earnings expectations in the first three quarters of 2007. When it reported third quarter results back in August, earnings were 35 cents per share, three cents better than the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, as well as the actual EPS in the same period of the previous year. For the fourth quarter, analysts expect only 29 cents per share, or $1.25 for the full year.

The analysts' consensus recommendation has been to buy Applied Materials for the past six months, but a closer look shows that most analysts are split between buy and hold. The share price has been slipping since reaching a 52-week high of $23.00 in August, almost falling during the week's Nasdaq volatility back to its 52-week low of $17.33 from a year ago.

For news about tech stocks that could influence Applied Materials' results, check out BloggingStocks' Applied Materials coverage.

Continue reading Earnings previews: Applied Materials (AMAT) and Agilent Technologies (A)

Earnings previews: Applied Materials (AMAT) and Agilent Technologies (A) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Industrial, scientific and engineering operations are critically dependent on the precise measurement of basic physical parameters. Among the best known manufacturers of many of the devices required for these purposes is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) provides electronic measurement and bio-analytical solutions to the communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis industries. Its Electronic Measurement segment offers such instruments as data generators, multimeters, and oscilloscopes. Its Bio-Analytical Measurement segment provides instruments and consumables that enable customers to quantify the biological properties of substances. Customers include Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and Merck (NYSE: MRK). The firm was a 1999 spin-off of Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ).

Agilent announced the acquisition of life science research and diagnostic products firm Stratagene last week and said that, as a result, it expects Q3 revenues to be in the range $1.38-$1.42 billion. Analysts had been looking for $1.38 billion. The acquisition did not affect the company's earnings outlook. The news kept Agilent shares cycling through a positive two-month trading channel. The price is currently consolidating at the base of that channel, where oversold CCI, MACD, Momentum, RSI and Stochastic technical parameters suggest the potential for a rise back toward the top. Correspondence of the stock's 30-day moving average curve to the base of the channel backs the rebound notion.

Brokers recommend the issue with two "strong buys," three "buys" and four "holds." Analysts expect a 19% growth rate through the next year. The Agilent Price to Free Cash Flow ratio (21.92), Operating Margin (11.09%), Net Profit Margin (12.48%), Return on Assets (7.82%) and Return on Investment (10.00%) compare favorably with industry averages.

Institutional investors hold about 74% of the outstanding shares. The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $26.96 and $38.97. A stop-loss of $32.70 looks good here. Note that the firm expects to report Q3 results in mid-August.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.

Agilent Technologies: Precise measurement of material properties originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bio-chemical instrument maker and measurement company Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) reported good 1Q 2007 numbers. Revenues for the quarter were $1.28 billion, up 10% from 1Q 2006. GAAP income before equity for the quarter was $150 million, $0.36 per diluted share, double the $73 million, $0.15 per share in 1Q 2006. Adjusted net income from continuing operations was $162 million, $0.39 per share, 34% above last year's $0.29 per share. Revenue from its Bio-Analytic segment was up 22% to $455 million, Electronic Measurement sector was up 4% to $817 million, Life Sciences revenue were up 23% to $195 million, Chemical Analysis revenues were up 21% to $260 million, but handheld testing devices revenue was down.

Agilent has been making some strategic moves recently. It spent $70 million on acquisitions in the first quarter, and purchased $254 million of its own stock, ending the quarter with just over $2 billion in net cash. Agilent CEO Bill Sullivan expects revenues in 2Q 2007 to be between $1.3-$1.34 billion, up 5-8%, with net income in the $0.41-$0.45 per share range.

In related news, Agilent will accelerate its $2 billion stock repurchase program. All told, since 2005 through 2007, Agilent will repurchase more than $6 billion worth of shares.

Agilent recently announced its intention to purchase Stratagene for $246 million, $10.94 per share, a hefty premium over the stock's closing of $8.51 on the day of the announcement. Agilent also recently won a multi-year, $94 million contract from the U.S. Army to test radio communications networks under combat conditions.

Agilent Technologies 1Q earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.