New York, Feb 25, 2026, 08:26 (EST) — Premarket
Keysight Technologies shares were up about 0.8% in U.S. premarket trading on Wednesday at around $304, after closing Tuesday up 23.1% at $301.48. The stock traded between $277.72 and $305.37 in the prior session. (Investing)
The follow-through matters because investors are trying to sort signal from noise in an AI-led market that has swung sharply this month. Nvidia’s results due later on Wednesday have become a near-term gauge for whether big-ticket AI spending is still accelerating — and who gets paid downstream. (Reuters)
Keysight, a maker of electronic test and measurement gear and design software, set off the rally after it posted fiscal first-quarter results late Monday and issued an upbeat outlook. The company said revenue rose to $1.60 billion, orders climbed to $1.645 billion, and adjusted (non-GAAP) earnings were $2.17 per share; it forecast second-quarter revenue of $1.690 billion to $1.710 billion and adjusted profit of $2.27 to $2.33 per share. Chief executive Satish Dhanasekaran said results “exceeded our expectations.” (Keysight)
On the call, the company pointed to demand tied to AI-focused data center buildouts, non-terrestrial network applications and defense modernization, and its outlook topped Wall Street estimates compiled by LSEG. Keysight also said its forecast does not include potential impacts tied to a February 20 Supreme Court ruling on tariffs imposed under emergency-powers law, or any follow-on actions by the U.S. administration. (Reuters)
The earnings release was furnished in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 23, the filing showed. (SEC)
Analysts moved fast. BofA Securities upgraded Keysight to “Buy” from “Neutral” and lifted its price target to $340 from $195, with analyst David Ridley-Lane calling the order strength “broad-based” and arguing the richer multiple is still supported versus the peer set. (Investing)
UBS also raised its price target to $340 from $230 and kept a “Buy” rating, saying AI demand appears to be accelerating as it broadened beyond a narrow set of customers. The broker lifted its fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings forecasts in the note. (Investing)
Keysight’s jump landed in a session when U.S. stocks rebounded broadly as tech regained traction and investors dialed back some of the AI-disruption anxiety that hit markets earlier in the week. (Reuters)
But the stock’s sharp two-day re-rating leaves less room for mistakes. A stumble in order growth, a pause in hyperscaler spending, or a hit to customer budgets would likely pull focus back to valuation and the durability of the cycle.
The next test is Wednesday’s after-hours read-through from Nvidia, which could swing sentiment across AI-linked hardware and tools names into the end of the week. (Barrons)
