Free Annual Reports
Agilent Fourth Quarter Earnings
Tickers in this Article »
A
Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) announced its results for the fourth quarter on November 19, 2012. Agilent Technologies is focused on the design and manufacturing of core bio-analytical and electronic measurement solutions. It serves customers in sectors such as communications, electronics, life sciences, and chemical analysis.
A business' earnings are the main determinant of its share price because earnings and the circumstances relating to them can indicate whether the business will be profitable and successful in the long run. SEE: 5 Tricks Companies Use During Earnings Season
The Numbers: Agilent beat expectations with its latest EPS and revenue figures. The company reported adjusted net income of 86 cents per share versus the 83 cents per share estimate and revenues of $1.77 billion versus the $1.71 billion estimate. Revenue climbed 2.3% from the same period last year. Agilent's revenue has grown during each of the past four quarters on a year-over-year basis. Agilent's profit for the fourth quarter was $425 million. This is 47.1% higher than the year-ago quarter. Last quarter's rising profit follows a drop of 26.4% to $255 million in the previous quarter.
Management Quote: Agilent CEO Bill Sullivan said, "Agilent's performance in the fiscal fourth quarter met our revenue guidance and exceeded EPS guidance. Despite a very challenging economic environment, the strength of our operating model was evident, with operating margins for the quarter and the year at an all-time high."
A Look Back: Gross margin shrank 1.1 percentage points to 52.2%. The contraction appeared to be driven by increased costs, which rose 4.7% from the year earlier quarter while revenue rose 2.3%.
Net income has increased 13.3% year-over-year on average across the last five quarters. The biggest gain came in the most recent quarter, when income climbed 47.1% from the year-earlier quarter.
Looking Ahead: Analysts have a more positive outlook for the company's next-quarter performance. Over the past month, the average estimate for the first quarter of the next fiscal year has gone up from 93 cents per share to 94 cents. When analyst increase earnings estimates investors can assume business has been stronger than first thought and is an encouraging sign for investors. The average estimate for the fiscal year is $3.24 per share, a rise from $3.19 90 days ago.
A business' earnings are the main determinant of its share price because earnings and the circumstances relating to them can indicate whether the business will be profitable and successful in the long run. SEE: 5 Tricks Companies Use During Earnings Season
The Numbers: Agilent beat expectations with its latest EPS and revenue figures. The company reported adjusted net income of 86 cents per share versus the 83 cents per share estimate and revenues of $1.77 billion versus the $1.71 billion estimate. Revenue climbed 2.3% from the same period last year. Agilent's revenue has grown during each of the past four quarters on a year-over-year basis. Agilent's profit for the fourth quarter was $425 million. This is 47.1% higher than the year-ago quarter. Last quarter's rising profit follows a drop of 26.4% to $255 million in the previous quarter.
Management Quote: Agilent CEO Bill Sullivan said, "Agilent's performance in the fiscal fourth quarter met our revenue guidance and exceeded EPS guidance. Despite a very challenging economic environment, the strength of our operating model was evident, with operating margins for the quarter and the year at an all-time high."
A Look Back: Gross margin shrank 1.1 percentage points to 52.2%. The contraction appeared to be driven by increased costs, which rose 4.7% from the year earlier quarter while revenue rose 2.3%.
Net income has increased 13.3% year-over-year on average across the last five quarters. The biggest gain came in the most recent quarter, when income climbed 47.1% from the year-earlier quarter.
Looking Ahead: Analysts have a more positive outlook for the company's next-quarter performance. Over the past month, the average estimate for the first quarter of the next fiscal year has gone up from 93 cents per share to 94 cents. When analyst increase earnings estimates investors can assume business has been stronger than first thought and is an encouraging sign for investors. The average estimate for the fiscal year is $3.24 per share, a rise from $3.19 90 days ago.
by
Investopedia Staff
Investopedia.com believes that individuals can excel at managing their financial affairs. As such, we strive to provide free educational content and tools to empower individual investors, including thousands of original and objective articles and tutorials on a wide variety of financial topics.
Free Annual Reports
