Which has the lower trailing P/E, A or WAT?

A has the lower trailing P/E: A trades at 31.89 and WAT at 105.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, A or WAT?

Over the past five years, WAT grew revenue faster — A at a 3.72% CAGR versus WAT at 11.70%.

Does A or WAT pay a bigger dividend?

A pays a dividend (0.69% yield), while WAT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Is A or WAT more profitable?

A runs the higher net margin — A at 19.53% versus WAT at 3.58%.

How have A and WAT total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, A delivered 13.47% and WAT delivered 10.36% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) vs Waters Corporation (WAT)

A side-by-side comparison of Agilent Technologies, Inc. and Waters Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

$45.75B

$161.98HealthcareDelayed quote: Sep 21, 2026, 3:59 PM EDT

WAT

Waters Corporation

$41.62B

$423.92HealthcareDelayed quote: Sep 21, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — A vs WAT

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

A +269.9% (+14.0%/yr)WAT +154.2% (+9.8%/yr)A compounded faster over this window

A WAT

A vs WAT: by the numbers

•A is the larger company ($45.75B vs $41.62B market cap).
•A trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (31.89 vs 105.72 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•A converts more revenue to profit (19.53% vs 3.58% net margin).
•WAT grew revenue faster over the past five years (11.70% vs 3.72% CAGR).
•A pays a dividend (0.69% yield), while WAT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	A	WAT
P/E ratio	31.89	105.72
Forward P/E	26.12	29.09
P/S ratio	6.21	8.96
P/B ratio	6.21	2.74
EV / EBITDA	25.10	49.94
FCF yield	2.73%	0.96%

Profitability

Metric	A	WAT
Gross margin	53.73%	50.78%
Operating margin	22.23%	28.22%
Net margin	19.53%	3.58%
ROE	19.56%	1.09%
ROIC	11.88%	1.34%

Dividends

Metric	A	WAT
Dividend yield	0.69%	N/A
Payout ratio	19.94%	N/A

Growth (annualized)

Metric	A	WAT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	3.72%	11.70%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	14.52%	5.16%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	2.54%	-9.10%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-3.00%	-0.83%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, A or WAT?: A has the lower trailing P/E: A trades at 31.89 and WAT at 105.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, A or WAT?: Over the past five years, WAT grew revenue faster — A at a 3.72% CAGR versus WAT at 11.70%.
Does A or WAT pay a bigger dividend?: A pays a dividend (0.69% yield), while WAT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.
Is A or WAT more profitable?: A runs the higher net margin — A at 19.53% versus WAT at 3.58%.
How have A and WAT total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, A delivered 13.47% and WAT delivered 10.36% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full A analysis Full WAT analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Agilent Technologies P/E ratio Waters P/E ratio Agilent Technologies dividend yield Agilent Technologies ROE Waters ROE Agilent Technologies operating margin Waters operating margin Agilent Technologies revenue growth Waters revenue growth Agilent Technologies free cash flow Waters free cash flow

Agilent Technologies & Waters appear in these rankings

Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 13, 2026.