Grains Get Boost From Focus on Argentinian Crops — Market Talk

What Happened?

Shares of life sciences tools company Agilent Technologies jumped 2.8% in the afternoon session after Evercore ISI upgraded the company's stock to 'Outperform' from 'In-Line' and raised its price target. 

The analyst firm also increased its price target for Agilent to $160.00 from $155.00. The upgrade from analyst Vijay Kumar at Evercore ISI Group reflected a more positive view of the company's future performance. This action signaled increased confidence in the company's prospects and followed a series of positive ratings from other financial firms, highlighting growing market optimism for Agilent.

After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $147.85, up 3.4% from previous close.

What Is The Market Telling Us

Agilent’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 9 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.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 8 months ago when the stock gained 7.8% after the major indices popped (Nasdaq +3.4%, S&P 500 +2.5%) in response to the positive outcome of U.S.-China trade negotiations, as both sides agreed to pause some tariffs for 90 days, signaling a potential turning point in ongoing tensions. 

This rollback cuts U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% and Chinese tariffs on U.S. imports to 10%, giving companies breathing room to reset inventories and supply chains.However, President Trump clarified that tariffs could go "substantially higher" if a full deal with China wasn't reached during the 90-day pause, but not all the way back to the previous levels.Still, the agreement has cooled fears of a prolonged trade war, helping stabilize expectations for global growth and trade flows and fueling renewed optimism.The optimism appeared concentrated in key trade-sensitive sectors, particularly technology, retail, and industrials, as lower tariffs reduce cost pressures and restore cross-border demand.

Agilent is up 7.2% since the beginning of the year, and at $147.85 per share, it is trading close to its 52-week high of $157.20 from November 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Agilent’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,203.

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Bio-Techne and the rest of the research tools & consumables stocks fared in Q3.

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 Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.3% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 1.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

Bio-Techne

With a catalog of hundreds of thousands of specialized biological products used in laboratories worldwide, Bio-Techne 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 $286.6 million, down 1% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

"The Bio-Techne team once again executed with focus and agility in a dynamic operating environment," said Kim Kelderman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bio-Techne.

Bio-Techne delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 4.1% since reporting and currently trades at $58.57.

Read our full report on Bio-Techne here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Sotera Health Company

With a critical role in ensuring the safety of millions of patients worldwide, Sotera Health (NASDAQGS:SHC) provides sterilization services, lab testing, and advisory services to ensure medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and food products are safe for use.

Sotera Health Company reported revenues of $311.3 million, up 9.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 6.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $17.75.

Weakest Q3: Avantor

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

Avantor reported revenues of $1.62 billion, down 5.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

Avantor delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 23.9% since the results and currently trades at $11.47.

Read our full analysis of Avantor’s results here.

Agilent

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

Agilent reported revenues of $1.86 billion, up 9.4% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Agilent scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 10.6% since reporting and currently trades at $137.56.

Read our full, actionable report on Agilent here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Thermo Fisher

With over 14,000 sales personnel and a portfolio spanning more than 2,500 technology manufacturers, Thermo Fisher Scientific provides scientific equipment, reagents, consumables, software, and laboratory services to pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and healthcare customers worldwide.

Thermo Fisher reported revenues of $11.12 billion, up 4.9% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded a decent beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 4.5% since reporting and currently trades at $583.14.

Read our full, actionable report on Thermo Fisher here, it’s free for active Edge members.

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at research tools & consumables stocks, starting with Sotera Health Company .

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 Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.3% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 1.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: Sotera Health Company

With a critical role in ensuring the safety of millions of patients worldwide, Sotera Health (NASDAQGS:SHC) provides sterilization services, lab testing, and advisory services to ensure medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and food products are safe for use.

Sotera Health Company reported revenues of $311.3 million, up 9.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

“Today, we reported strong top-line revenue growth and double-digit Adjusted EBITDA growth, with approximately 150 basis points of margin expansion,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael B. Petras, Jr.

Interestingly, the stock is up 4.8% since reporting and currently trades at $17.41.

Agilent

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

Agilent reported revenues of $1.86 billion, up 9.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. The business had a strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Agilent achieved the fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 10.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $138.39.

Weakest Q3: Avantor

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

Avantor reported revenues of $1.62 billion, down 5.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Avantor delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 25.3% since the results and currently trades at $11.27.

Read our full analysis of Avantor’s results here.

Danaher

Born from a real estate investment trust that transformed into a manufacturing powerhouse, Danaher is a global science and technology company that provides specialized equipment, software, and services for biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics.

Danaher reported revenues of $6.05 billion, up 4.4% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

The stock is up 11.3% since reporting and currently trades at $230.33.

Read our full, actionable report on Danaher here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Thermo Fisher

With over 14,000 sales personnel and a portfolio spanning more than 2,500 technology manufacturers, Thermo Fisher Scientific provides scientific equipment, reagents, consumables, software, and laboratory services to pharmaceutical, biotech, academic, and healthcare customers worldwide.

Thermo Fisher reported revenues of $11.12 billion, up 4.9% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a decent beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 3.6% since reporting and currently trades at $578.20.

Read our full, actionable report on Thermo Fisher here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q3 behind us, let’s have a look at Avantor 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 Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.3% below.

While some research tools & consumables stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 1.5% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q3: Avantor

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

Avantor reported revenues of $1.62 billion, down 5.3% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a miss of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

"Avantor's diverse portfolio, strong production capabilities, and long-standing customer relationships provide a strong foundation for sustained value creation," said Emmanuel Ligner, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Avantor delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 26.6% since reporting and currently trades at $11.08.

Read our full report on Avantor here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Sotera Health Company

With a critical role in ensuring the safety of millions of patients worldwide, Sotera Health (NASDAQGS:SHC) provides sterilization services, lab testing, and advisory services to ensure medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and food products are safe for use.

Sotera Health Company reported revenues of $311.3 million, up 9.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 3% since reporting. It currently trades at $17.10.

Bio-Techne

With a catalog of hundreds of thousands of specialized biological products used in laboratories worldwide, Bio-Techne 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 $286.6 million, down 1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Bio-Techne delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 6.5% since the results and currently trades at $57.11.

Read our full analysis of Bio-Techne’s results here.

Bruker

With roots dating back to the pioneering days of nuclear magnetic resonance technology, Bruker 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 $860.5 million, flat year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

Bruker had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 14.9% since reporting and currently trades at $44.73.

Read our full, actionable report on Bruker here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Agilent

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

Agilent reported revenues of $1.86 billion, up 9.4% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Agilent scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 11.4% since reporting and currently trades at $136.35.

Read our full, actionable report on Agilent here, it’s free for active Edge members.