Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Agilent (NYSE: A) and its peers.

The life sciences subsector specializing in research tools and consumables enables scientific discoveries across academia, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. These firms supply a wide range of essential laboratory products, ensuring a recurring revenue stream through repeat purchases and replenishment. Their business models benefit from strong customer loyalty, a diversified product portfolio, and exposure to both the research and clinical markets. However, challenges include high R&D investment to maintain technological leadership, pricing pressures from budget-conscious institutions, and vulnerability to fluctuations in research funding cycles. Looking ahead, this subsector stands to benefit from tailwinds such as growing demand for tools supporting emerging fields like synthetic biology and personalized medicine. There is also a rise in automation and AI-driven solutions in laboratories that could create new opportunities to sell tools and consumables. Nevertheless, headwinds exist. These companies tend to be at the mercy of supply chain disruptions and sensitivity to macroeconomic conditions that impact funding for research initiatives.

The 10 research tools & consumables stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 26.1% since the latest earnings results.

Agilent (NYSE: A)

Originally spun off from Hewlett-Packard in 1999 as its measurement and analytical division, Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) provides analytical instruments, software, services, and consumables for laboratory workflows in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets.

Agilent reported revenues of $1.68 billion, up 1.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a slower quarter for the company with some shareholders anticipating a better outcome.

The stock is down 23% since reporting and currently trades at $103.49.

Read our full report on Agilent here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Bio-Techne (NASDAQ: TECH)

With a catalog of hundreds of thousands of specialized biological products used in laboratories worldwide, Bio-Techne (NASDAQ: TECH) develops and manufactures specialized reagents, instruments, and services that help researchers study biological processes and enable diagnostic testing and cell therapy development.

Bio-Techne reported revenues of $297 million, up 9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.2%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Bio-Techne scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is down 31.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $49.52.

Is now the time to buy Bio-Techne? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Avantor (NYSE: AVTR)

With roots dating back to 1904 and embedded in virtually every stage of scientific research and production, Avantor (NYSE: AVTR) provides mission-critical products, materials, and services to customers in biopharma, healthcare, education, and advanced technology industries.

Avantor reported revenues of $1.69 billion, down 2.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

Avantor delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 28.9% since the results and currently trades at $15.41.

Read our full analysis of Avantor’s results here.

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT)

Founded in 1958 and pioneering innovations in laboratory analysis for over six decades, Waters (NYSE: WAT) develops and manufactures analytical instruments, software, and consumables for liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis used in scientific research and quality testing.

Waters Corporation reported revenues of $872.7 million, up 6.5% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Zooming out, it was a decent quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The stock is down 20.8% since reporting and currently trades at $321.01.

Read our full, actionable report on Waters Corporation here, it’s free.

Bruker (NASDAQ: BRKR)

With roots dating back to the pioneering days of nuclear magnetic resonance technology, Bruker (NASDAQ: BRKR) develops and manufactures high-performance scientific instruments that enable researchers and industrial analysts to explore materials at microscopic, molecular, and cellular levels.

Bruker reported revenues of $979.6 million, up 14.6% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Bruker scored the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 29.8% since reporting and currently trades at $36.28.

Read our full, actionable report on Bruker here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.