Global Healthcare Demand And PFAS Testing Will Drive Analytical Progress

Key Takeaways

• Sustained growth is driven by strong demand in healthcare, advanced materials, and regulatory-driven testing, with recurring revenue streams expanding Agilent's market and margin stability.
  
• Operational efficiencies, strategic pricing, and rapid adoption of innovative lab technologies position Agilent for ongoing margin improvement and above-market growth.
  
• Rising tariffs, funding pressures, and competitive intensity threaten margins and growth, while dependence on replacement cycles and geopolitical shifts heighten operational and financial risk.

Catalysts

Provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide.

• Strong, broad-based growth in the pharmaceutical and chemicals/advanced materials end markets-driven by increased global healthcare demand, lab instrument replacement cycles, and expanding R&D budgets-demonstrates that Agilent is well positioned to benefit from rising healthcare and analytical testing needs, supporting sustained core revenue growth.
  
• Global momentum for stricter food safety and environmental regulations (e.g., PFAS testing, greenfield investments, and regional capacity expansion) continues to drive demand for Agilent's analytical instruments and recurring solutions, expanding the company's addressable market and providing a robust foundation for recurring revenues.
  
• Strategic investments in higher-margin recurring revenue streams-including consumables, software, services, and digital platforms-are gaining traction, with CrossLab and services delivering consistent mid-single-digit growth and high customer satisfaction, indicating further margin expansion and greater earnings stability in future periods.
  
• Agilent's Ignite enterprise operating model is already delivering material cost savings (double-digit reductions in key categories) and operational efficiencies, while ongoing global supply chain reorganization and targeted pricing actions are expected to fully offset tariff-related margin headwinds by FY2026, underpinning future operating margin improvements.
  
• Accelerated adoption of next-generation lab technologies-driven by automation, digitalization, and a new product cycle (Infinity III LC, Pro iQ LC/MS, Dako Omnis)-is resulting in robust customer demand, higher win rates, and increasing follow-on purchases, positioning Agilent for above-market revenue and earnings growth as innovation and replacement cycles continue.

Agilent Technologies Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Agilent Technologies's revenue will grow by 5.8% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 18.0% today to 21.3% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $1.7 billion (and earnings per share of $6.31) by about September 2028, up from $1.2 billion today.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 27.2x on those 2028 earnings, down from 29.1x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US Life Sciences industry at 29.1x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to decline by 1.33% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 7.34%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Agilent Technologies Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Heightened global tariffs and increased supply chain complexity led to a significant rise in tariff-driven costs in 2025 (projected at $70 million for the year), negatively impacting gross and operating margins and creating risk if mitigation efforts in 2026 are delayed or less effective than anticipated, which could pressure long-term net margins.
  
• Sustained funding pressures in the U.S. and global Academia & Government end market, which is expected to experience a mid-single-digit decline, highlight the risk that continued tightening in government and academic research budgets could constrain demand in a traditionally stable segment, ultimately weighing on long-term revenue growth.
  
• Intensifying competitive dynamics, including the need for rapid commercial investment and market share defense, require significant ongoing expense; if Agilent's strategic investments in commercial capabilities and product launches fail to yield sufficient market share gains, the result could be margin compression or stalled topline growth.
  
• Agilent's current revenue growth is heavily reliant on replacement cycles and capital investments in core analytical instrumentation, particularly in Pharma and Chemicals & Advanced Materials; if these high-growth, replacement-driven cycles stagnate or customers lengthen replacement intervals, core revenue expansion may slow, affecting long-term earnings growth.
  
• Accelerated reshoring and geopolitical shifts are increasing input volatility and operational complexity, as seen in the need to reorganize production and manage logistics in response to tariffs; if continued, rising supply chain risks and higher input costs could erode gross margins and create unpredictable impacts on both revenue and profitability.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of $138.167 for Agilent Technologies based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $165.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $120.0.
  
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $8.0 billion, earnings will come to $1.7 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 27.2x, assuming you use a discount rate of 7.3%.
  
• Given the current share price of $125.22, the analyst price target of $138.17 is 9.4% higher.
  
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.