Agilent Technologies Inc vs Ross Stores, Inc. — how do they compare? Agilent Technologies Inc trades at $149.35 (market cap $42.00B), while Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $252.15 (market cap $81.74B). The key difference: Ross Stores, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Ross Stores, Inc. pays the higher dividend (0.7%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| A | ROST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $42.00B | $81.74B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $157.20 | $255.23 |
52-Week Low | $110.24 | $144.67 |
Enterprise Value | $43.55B | $82.34B |
Dividend Yield | 0.69% | 0.7% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Agilent Technologies (A) trades at $145.97, up 3.28% in the last session, with a bullish technical outlook from moving averages but overbought RSI levels. The company reported strong Q1 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $1.49, and maintains solid profitability with a net income margin of 19.55%. Recent developments include FDA and EU approvals for diagnostic assays and the acquisition of Biocare Medical, enhancing its healthcare portfolio.
The stock offers upside to the consensus price target of $154.90, supported by analyst optimism (77.5% buy ratings), but high valuation ratios like a P/E of 146.56 pose risks. Investors should monitor execution of growth initiatives and competitive pressures in the life sciences sector, with earnings on August 26, 2026, as a key catalyst.
Ross Stores (ROST) trades at $255.23, up 0.36% on the day, near its consensus price target of $259. The stock shows strong momentum with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats, including Q1 2026 EPS of $2.02 versus $1.73 expected. Revenue growth accelerated to $21.13B in 2025, with net income margin improving to 9.74%. Recent expansion includes 47 new stores opened in June-July 2026, supporting future growth.
Outlook remains positive given robust fundamentals and analyst optimism, but valuation multiples like P/E of 35.65 suggest premium pricing. Key risks include consumer spending sensitivity and competitive pressures in discount retail. The stock offers growth potential with disciplined execution, though investors should weigh high valuation against earnings sustainability.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →