Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, March 3, 2023

Article Excerpt

AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC., $143.93, New York symbol A, is still a buy for aggressive investors. The company makes specialized testing equipment for medical research laboratories and industrial clients. Its equipment includes mass spectrometers, used to analyze substances. Demand for Agilent’s equipment from pharmaceutical firms, chemical makers and food producers remains strong as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also raised its selling prices to offset rising input costs. In its fiscal 2023 first quarter, ended January 31, 2023, the company’s revenue rose 4.9%, to $1.76 billion from $1.67 billion a year earlier. That beat the consensus forecast of $1.70 billion. The higher revenue also increased earnings before unusual items by 10.3%, to $406 million from $368 million. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share earnings gained 13.2%, to $1.37 from $1.21. That also topped the consensus estimate of $1.31. Agilent now expects its core revenue for all of fiscal 2023 will improve between 5.5% and 6.5%. It also expects to earn between $5.65 and…