Investors continue to like this breakup

Article Excerpt

Agilent and Keysight, which it spun off in November 2014, continue to benefit investors as their split lets each focus on its own niche markets. Since the breakup, Agilent has gained 215%, while Keysight is up 336%. AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. $120 is a buy. The company (New York symbol A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 299.0 million; Market cap: $35.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 5.7; Dividend yield: 0.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agilent.com) makes specialized testing equipment for medical research laboratories and industrial clients. Its equipment includes mass spectrometers, used to analyze substances. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spur strong demand for Agilent equipment from pharmaceutical firms working on vaccines and drugs. Demand from chemical and energy firms is also improving. In its fiscal 2022 second quarter, ended April 30, 2022, the company’s revenue rose 5.4%, to $1.61 billion from $1.53 billion a year earlier. If you disregard the contribution of recent acquisitions and currency exchange rates, revenue gained 5.2%. Thanks to an effective…