Keysight Technologies (NYSE:KEYS) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

Keysight Technologies (NYSE:KEYS) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

KEYS has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Vertical Research initiated coverage on Keysight Technologies in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Keysight Technologies from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Keysight Technologies from $163.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Keysight Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Keysight Technologies from $167.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $170.89.

Keysight Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE KEYS opened at $149.37 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a market capitalization of $25.92 billion, a PE ratio of 28.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.98. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $155.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $145.91. Keysight Technologies has a twelve month low of $119.72 and a twelve month high of $166.28.

Keysight Technologies (NYSE:KEYS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.22. Keysight Technologies had a net margin of 18.24% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The business had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.04 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Keysight Technologies will post 5.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Richard P. Hamada sold 1,632 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.00, for a total transaction of $254,592.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 42,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,576,960. This represents a 3.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Keysight Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in KEYS. Swedbank AB lifted its stake in shares of Keysight Technologies by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 4,128,892 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $564,626,000 after acquiring an additional 151,446 shares during the period. Capital International Sarl acquired a new stake in Keysight Technologies in the first quarter worth approximately $2,434,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its position in Keysight Technologies by 172.6% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 41,977 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $6,565,000 after purchasing an additional 26,577 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in Keysight Technologies by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 16,895 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,685,000 after purchasing an additional 7,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Keysight Technologies by 28.7% during the 3rd quarter. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. now owns 80,629 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $12,814,000 after purchasing an additional 17,962 shares during the period. 84.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Keysight Technologies Company Profile

Keysight Technologies, Inc provides electronic design and test solutions to commercial communications, networking, aerospace, defense and government, automotive, energy, semiconductor, electronic, and education industries in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Communications Solutions Group and Electronic Industrial Solutions Group.