Compare Agilent Technologies Inc (A) vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB) Price & Performance
Price performance
Price movement over the last 24 hours
Key statistics
Key statistics
Agilent Technologies Inc vs Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Agilent Technologies Inc trades at $128.47 (market cap $37.04B), while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $50.09. The key difference: Agilent Technologies Inc pays a 0.78% dividend while Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none, and Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund is trading nearer its 52-week high, Agilent Technologies Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| A | XLB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $37.04B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $157.20 | $53.62 |
52-Week Low | $110.24 | $42.23 |
Enterprise Value | $38.59B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.78% | — |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Agilent Technologies (A) trades at $131.14, up 0.34% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. The stock shows solid profitability with a net margin of 19.55% and ROE of 21.33%, supported by recent earnings beats. Recent acquisitions like Biocare Medical highlight growth initiatives, while cash flow trends remain positive. Valuation ratios such as P/E of 26.22 are elevated but align with quality growth expectations.
The outlook is positive given analyst consensus with a $154.90 price target and 77.5% buy ratings. Risks include execution of acquisitions and macroeconomic pressures on life sciences spending. The stock offers growth potential from AI-driven product launches, though technical resistance near $132 may cap near-term gains.
XLB, the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $51.98, down slightly by 0.06% today. Technical indicators show a bullish trend with strong moving average support, while oscillators are neutral. The ETF, which provides broad exposure to the U.S. materials sector, lacks disclosed fundamental ratios like P/E and P/S in the provided data. Recent news highlights sector interest, with family offices investing $4.8 billion in materials as of May 23, 2026 (Barron's).
The outlook for XLB is supported by sector rotation into materials amid geopolitical shifts and earnings growth potential, but risks include sensitivity to macroeconomic factors and inflation. Analyst sentiment is mixed, with some viewing valuations as less compelling after recent gains. The ETF's performance will hinge on broader industrial and economic trends.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
About Agilent Technologies Inc
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 →About Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund
In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes securities of companies from the following industries: chemicals; metals and mining; paper and forest products; containers and packaging; and construction materials. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLB →
