Azenta Stock Jumps 18% to 52-Week High After Fourth-Quarter Earnings Crush Estimates and Upbeat 2027 Outlook

BURLINGTON, Mass. — Shares of Azenta Inc. surged nearly 18% on Wednesday to a 52-week high after the life sciences company reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that easily beat Wall Street expectations and gave an outlook for fiscal 2027 above analyst forecasts.

The stock rose $7.24, or 17.89%, to $47.72 in morning trading, giving the company a market value of about $2.07 billion. Earlier in the session it touched a 52-week high of $47.26 before climbing further. The shares closed at $40.48 on Tuesday, down 1.15%, ahead of the report.

For the quarter ended in September, Azenta posted adjusted earnings of 28 cents per share, more than double the analyst consensus of about 11 to 12 cents. Revenue rose 5% from a year earlier to $167.1 million, topping estimates of about $160 million. Organic revenue, which excludes the effects of currency and acquisitions, grew 2%.

The company's Sample Management Solutions business, which provides storage and automation for biological samples, led the growth. Revenue in that unit rose 9% to $94 million. Revenue in its Multiomics business, which provides genomic sequencing and related services, was flat at $73 million.

Adjusted EBITDA came in at $19.4 million, beating forecasts of about $17.2 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin was 11.6%, down 140 basis points from a year earlier. Azenta generated $11.9 million in free cash flow, compared with negative free cash flow of $5.7 million in the same quarter last year. Net income was $6.8 million.

For the full fiscal year 2026, Azenta reported revenue of $622 million, up 5%, with organic growth of 2%.

The company also issued guidance for fiscal 2027 that came in above analyst consensus, adding to investor enthusiasm. Shares rose more than 8% in after-hours trading Tuesday immediately after the release, and the rally gained momentum when regular trading opened Wednesday.

The results suggest demand for laboratory automation and sample storage is recovering as research spending patterns normalize after a difficult period for life sciences tools companies. Many of those companies were hurt by tighter biotech funding and cautious spending by pharmaceutical customers.

Wednesday's surge extends a strong run for the stock. Azenta shares have gained about 126% over the past six months and about 31.6% over the past 52 weeks, according to market data. The stock traded as low as $15.93 within the past year.

Analysts remain mixed but constructive. Five analysts rate the stock a buy and four rate it a hold, with no sell ratings, according to data compiled by AlphaStreet.

Some caution remains. Azenta's revenue has grown at a compound annual rate of about 3.9% over the past five years, below the health care sector average, according to StockStory. The company's adjusted earnings per share have declined over the same period. Some valuation models suggest the stock may be slightly overvalued after its recent run.

Azenta, formerly part of Brooks Automation, provides biological sample management, storage and genomic services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic and health care customers. It is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Wednesday's trading volume was about 288,600 shares in the morning, compared with a three-month average daily volume of roughly 963,000.