What Happened?

Shares of life sciences tools company Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) fell 3.2% in the morning session after the White House announced new tariffs on goods from the European Union and Mexico. 

The U.S. administration unveiled a sweeping 30% tariff on imports from both the EU and Mexico, set to take effect on August 1. This move follows an earlier announcement of a 35% tariff on Canadian imports, escalating global trade tensions and sparking fears of retaliatory measures. The news sent a wave of uncertainty through the financial markets, causing major indices to open lower as investors grew cautious about the potential impact on corporate earnings and inflation. As a global company with a significant portion of its revenue generated from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, Agilent is particularly sensitive to disruptions in international trade, making its shares susceptible to the negative macroeconomic sentiment.

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What Is The Market Telling Us

Agilent’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 8 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

Agilent is down 9.6% since the beginning of the year, and at $120.57 per share, it is trading 21% below its 52-week high of $152.60 from January 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Agilent’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,329.

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