Agilent sees strong growth in fourth quarter of 2014

Agilent has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2014, during which it achieved a revenue total of $1.81 billion (1.15 billion pounds).

It represented a year-on-year increase of five percent, while orders rose to $1.91 billion, a four percent improvement on last year. The company expressed particular satisfaction with the record-breaking performance of its life sciences, diagnostics and applied chemical markets division.

This is particularly important given that Agilent will soon be focusing completely on this business, having completed the spinoff of its electronic measurement division into a separate company called Keysight Technologies.

The separation was completed on November 1st 2014, with the entire process having been conducted without disruption to either organisation.

Bill Sullivan, chief executive officer at Agilent, said: "We are excited about Agilent's future as a company focused 100 percent on the life sciences, diagnostics and applied markets, with innovative new product rollouts planned for this year and market trends looking positive."

The firm also recently announced the appointment of Patrick Kaltenbach as president of its life sciences and applied markets group, with Jacob Thaysen heading up the diagnostics and genomics group.