It's been a good week for Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest annual results, and the shares gained 7.4% to US$138. Agilent Technologies reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of US$6.5b and statutory earnings per share of US$4.43, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. So we collected the latest post-earnings statutory consensus estimates to see what could be in store for next year.
After the latest results, the 18 analysts covering Agilent Technologies are now predicting revenues of US$6.83b in 2025. If met, this would reflect a modest 4.9% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to increase 6.5% to US$4.81. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$6.83b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.89 in 2025. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.
The analysts reconfirmed their price target of US$149, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Agilent Technologies at US$165 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$135. Still, with such a tight range of estimates, it suggeststhe analysts have a pretty good idea of what they think the company is worth.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. We can infer from the latest estimates that forecasts expect a continuation of Agilent Technologies'historical trends, as the 4.9% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2025 is roughly in line with the 5.9% annual growth over the past five years. Compare this with the broader industry (in aggregate), which analyst estimates suggest will see revenues grow 6.4% annually. So although Agilent Technologies is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's forecast to grow slower than the wider industry.
The Bottom Line
The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that Agilent Technologies' revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$149, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.
Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple Agilent Technologies analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.
It might also be worth considering whether Agilent Technologies' debt load is appropriate, using our debt analysis tools on the Simply Wall St platform, here.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
