SiliconBeat

Agilent Technologies, the electronics instrument maker spun-off from Hewlett-Packard, joined a list of companies lowering forecasts “in response to deteriorating economic conditions, particularly in electronic measurement markets”, according to a regulatory filing made today.

The company said sales for its fiscal 2009 first quarter ending in January would be between $1.25 to $1.30 billion, down as much as 10 percent from the year-before quarter, and nearly 7 percent below its previous guidance.

Net profit, excluding some items, is expected to range from 28 to 32 cents per share, down more than 15 percent from previous guidance. The “some items” being excluded related “primarily the impacts of future restructuring and asset impairment charges” and “pertain to events that have not yet occurred.” Uh-oh.