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Agilent reports slight gain for quarter; test and measurement revenues off 3%

SANTA ROSA, Nov. 14, 2008 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. reported a small gain in fourth quarter revenues despite slipping markets worldwide.

Revenues for the fiscal quarter ending Oct. 31 were $1.48 million, 2 percent above revenues for the same quarter last year. Revenues for the Electronic Measurements group, of which the Wireless Business Unit in Santa Rosa is a part, were $865 million, down 3 percent from the fourth quarter of last year. Electronic Measurements orders were down 10 percent.

“The Santa Rosa operation pretty well mirrors the performance of Electronic Measurements Group as a whole,” said Ron Nersesian, vice president of the Wireless Business Unit and Santa Rosa site manager. “And that in turn reflects what is happening with our customers. They’re cutting back, in some cases as much as 40 percent in Asia.”

He said over the years Agilent has become adept at anticipating economic slowdowns.

“We’re at the front end of reacting, not waiting until it hits us,” he said.

Agilent employs 1,400 at its Santa Rosa campus.

The price of Agilent's stock at the close of trading today slipped 22 cents a share to $20.75 from yesterday's close.