Agilent Technologies Inc vs American States Water Company — how do they compare? Agilent Technologies Inc trades at $149.35 (market cap $42.22B), while American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.47B). The key difference: Agilent Technologies Inc is far larger — about 12.2× American States Water Company's market cap, and American States Water Company pays the higher dividend (2.49%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| A | AWR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $42.22B | $3.47B |
Sector | Health | Utilities |
52-Week High | $157.20 | $89.28 |
52-Week Low | $110.24 | $70.10 |
Enterprise Value | $43.77B | $4.37B |
Dividend Yield | 0.68% | 2.49% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Agilent Technologies (A) trades at $148.23, near its consensus price target of $154.90, with a slight 0.33% decline over 24 hours. The stock shows strong fundamentals, including a 19.55% net income margin and robust ROE of 21.33%, while technical indicators signal a bullish trend despite overbought RSI levels. Recent developments include FDA and EU approvals for diagnostic assays and the acquisition of Biocare Medical, reinforcing growth in biopharma services.
Outlook remains positive with 77.5% analyst buy ratings, but risks include high valuation multiples (P/E 30.02) and dependence on healthcare spending. Earnings beat in Q1 2026 supports upside, though Q2 2026 results due August 26 are critical for momentum. Institutional accumulation, like Ashton Thomas Securities' 47.1% stake increase in Q2 2026, underscores confidence.
AWR trades at $87.95, up 1.59% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported a Q2 2026 EPS beat of $1.09 versus $0.915 expected, driven by water rate increases and revenue growth. Recent news highlights its 71-year dividend growth streak and an 8.2% dividend hike announced in July 2026. Financials show solid profitability with a 20.52% net income margin and ROE of 13.62%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 23.92 are above sector averages.
Outlook is mixed: strong dividend history and earnings growth support income investors, but elevated valuation and mixed analyst consensus (20% buy, 50% hold, 30% sell) suggest limited near-term upside. Key risks include regulatory dependence on rate approvals and potential overvaluation relative to peers.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Originally spun out of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, Agilent has evolved into a leading life sciences and diagnostics firm. Today, Agilent's measurement technologies serve a broad base of customers with its three operating segments: life science and applied tools (45% of fiscal 2021 sales), cross lab (35% of sales consisting of consumables and services related to its life science and applied tools), and diagnostics and genomics (20%). Over half of its sales are generated from the biopharmaceutical, chemical, and energy end markets, but it also supports clinical lab, environmental, forensics, food, academic, and government-related organizations. The company is geographically diverse, with operations in the U.S. (34%) and China (20%) representing the largest country concentrations.
Read more on A →American States Water provides water and electric services to over one million people in the U.S. It also manages water and wastewater systems for various military bases under long-term privatization contracts.
Read more on AWR →