They’ve given you triple-digit gains

Article Excerpt

Agilent and Keysight are great examples of how spinoffs can deliver big returns for growth investors. In the 10 years since Agilent spun off Keysight (shareholders received one Keysight share for every two shares they held), the stock is up 220%, while Keysight has soared 420%. We feel both stocks can still go higher in the next few years. AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. $133 is a buy. The company (New York symbol A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 287.3 million; Market cap: $38.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 6.0; Dividend yield: 0.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agilent.com) makes specialized testing equipment for medical research laboratories and industrial clients. In the fiscal 2024 third quarter, ended July 31, 2024, revenue fell 5.6%, to $1.58 billion from $1.67 billion a year earlier. Earnings before unusual items also fell 8.8%, to $385 million from $422 million. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share earnings declined 7.7%, to $1.32 from $1.43. Agilent expects demand from drug developers and manufacturers should improve as inflation…