We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
The medical diagnostic testing provider posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.35 in the last reported quarter, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.73%. The company topped earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 3.31%.
Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.
DGX’s Q3 Estimates
For the third quarter of 2024, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Quest Diagnostics’ revenues is pegged at $2.40 billion, indicating an increase of 4.6% from the year-ago reported figure.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s third-quarter 2024 EPS suggests a 1.8% increase to $2.26.
Estimate Revision Trend Ahead of DGX’s Earnings
Estimates for Quest Diagnostics’ Q3 earnings have moved down 0.4% to $2.26 in the past 30 days.
Let’s take a quick look at the company’s performance leading up to this announcement.
Quest Diagnostics’ DIS (Diagnostic Information Services) segment, which provides clinical testing and other services to a wide range of customers, is expected to have delivered a strong performance due to solid volume growth in its base business. Volumes from the base clinical business likely gained due to strength among its physicians and hospitals. Physician Lab Services may have benefited from continued healthcare utilization, market expansion, and gaining new customers. These factors are likely to have contributed to DGX’s top line in the third quarter of 2024.
Furthermore, Quest Diagnostics may have benefited from strong volume and revenue growth within Medicare Advantage plans, where narrow network strategies guide testing to high-quality, cost-effective providers like the company. Within Hospital lab services, we expect a solid base business growth from reference testing, with hospitals still struggling to fill open positions, especially in technical fields, such as histotechnology, microbiology and cytotechnology.
Notably, the company’s consumer-facing platform, questhealth.com, may have achieved a robust base business growth, following a remarkable 50% surge in the second quarter. The introduction of 13 new blood tests in August 2024, to evaluate micronutrient deficiencies, is also expected to bolster the overall revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price and EPS Surprise
Meanwhile, greater utilization of the advanced diagnostics offerings may have helped the company drive a favorable test mix and growth in test per requisition in the third quarter of 2024. In the recent quarters, several key clinical areas in Advanced Diagnostics, particularly in prenatal and hereditary genetics, have achieved robust revenue growth. Growth in brain health may have been driven by the company’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio, as well as strong demand for the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) test options.
Within advanced cardiometabolic testing, the company likely witnessed a strong interest in biomarkers that improve early detection of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases like diabetes and kidney disease. Further, its strategic collaboration with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) may have helped bring novel companion diagnostics to market to advance personalized healthcare. All these developments are expected to have boosted Quest Diagnostics’ performance in the third quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, DGX’s Invigorate initiative is likely to have helped drive cost savings and improve productivity, benefiting the bottom line. The company is likely to have enhanced its operational quality and efficiency through greater use of automation and AI. According to our model, operating income for the DIS segment is likely to grow 2.9% year over year. Additionally, Quest Diagnostics’ overall operating income and EBITDA (both on a non-GAAP basis) are expected to improve by 0.9% and 2.3%, respectively, compared to the last year.
Acquisitions are central to the company’s growth strategy, particularly the accretive outreach purchases and other small, independent labs. Newer additions such as the PathAI Diagnostics business from PathAI may have helped DGX develop cutting-edge AI and digital pathology solutions to improve cancer diagnosis and other diseases. The acquisition of LifeLabs from OMERS, completed in August 2024, likely improved access to diagnostic innovation for patients in North America. We assume all these positive developments will have been favorably reflected in the company’s revenues in the third quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, the declining revenues from COVID-19 testing services likely have restricted the full growth potential of the segment.
Per our model, DIS revenues for the third quarter suggest a 3.6% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
What Our Model Unveils for DGX
Per our proven model, a stock with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold), along with a positive Earnings ESP, has a higher chance of beating estimates, which is not the case here, as you can see.
Earnings ESP: Quest Diagnostics has an Earnings ESP of -1.47%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Other Top MedTech Picks
Here are some medical stocks worth considering, as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this time:
ACAD’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 42.37%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s third-quarter EPS is expected to surge 127.5% from the year-ago quarter figure.
RadNet (RDNT - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +20.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2024 results on Nov. 13.
RDNT’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and broke even once, with the average surprise being 98.23%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RadNet’s third-quarter EPS is expected to increase by 21.4% from the year-ago quarter figure.
Masimo (MASI - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.40% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is likely to release third-quarter 2024 results on Nov. 5.
The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 14.63%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MASI’s 2024 third-quarter EPS is expected to improve 33.3% from the year-ago reported figure.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
DGX Gears Up for Q3 Earnings: What Lies Ahead for the Stock?
Quest Diagnostics (DGX - Free Report) is set to release its third-quarter 2024 results on Oct. 22, before the opening bell.
The medical diagnostic testing provider posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.35 in the last reported quarter, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.73%. The company topped earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 3.31%.
Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.
DGX’s Q3 Estimates
For the third quarter of 2024, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Quest Diagnostics’ revenues is pegged at $2.40 billion, indicating an increase of 4.6% from the year-ago reported figure.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s third-quarter 2024 EPS suggests a 1.8% increase to $2.26.
Estimate Revision Trend Ahead of DGX’s Earnings
Estimates for Quest Diagnostics’ Q3 earnings have moved down 0.4% to $2.26 in the past 30 days.
Let’s take a quick look at the company’s performance leading up to this announcement.
Factors Influencing Quest Diagnostics’ Q3 Performance
Quest Diagnostics’ DIS (Diagnostic Information Services) segment, which provides clinical testing and other services to a wide range of customers, is expected to have delivered a strong performance due to solid volume growth in its base business. Volumes from the base clinical business likely gained due to strength among its physicians and hospitals. Physician Lab Services may have benefited from continued healthcare utilization, market expansion, and gaining new customers. These factors are likely to have contributed to DGX’s top line in the third quarter of 2024.
Furthermore, Quest Diagnostics may have benefited from strong volume and revenue growth within Medicare Advantage plans, where narrow network strategies guide testing to high-quality, cost-effective providers like the company. Within Hospital lab services, we expect a solid base business growth from reference testing, with hospitals still struggling to fill open positions, especially in technical fields, such as histotechnology, microbiology and cytotechnology.
Notably, the company’s consumer-facing platform, questhealth.com, may have achieved a robust base business growth, following a remarkable 50% surge in the second quarter. The introduction of 13 new blood tests in August 2024, to evaluate micronutrient deficiencies, is also expected to bolster the overall revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price and EPS Surprise
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated price-eps-surprise | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Quote
Meanwhile, greater utilization of the advanced diagnostics offerings may have helped the company drive a favorable test mix and growth in test per requisition in the third quarter of 2024. In the recent quarters, several key clinical areas in Advanced Diagnostics, particularly in prenatal and hereditary genetics, have achieved robust revenue growth. Growth in brain health may have been driven by the company’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio, as well as strong demand for the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) test options.
Within advanced cardiometabolic testing, the company likely witnessed a strong interest in biomarkers that improve early detection of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases like diabetes and kidney disease. Further, its strategic collaboration with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) may have helped bring novel companion diagnostics to market to advance personalized healthcare. All these developments are expected to have boosted Quest Diagnostics’ performance in the third quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, DGX’s Invigorate initiative is likely to have helped drive cost savings and improve productivity, benefiting the bottom line. The company is likely to have enhanced its operational quality and efficiency through greater use of automation and AI. According to our model, operating income for the DIS segment is likely to grow 2.9% year over year. Additionally, Quest Diagnostics’ overall operating income and EBITDA (both on a non-GAAP basis) are expected to improve by 0.9% and 2.3%, respectively, compared to the last year.
Acquisitions are central to the company’s growth strategy, particularly the accretive outreach purchases and other small, independent labs. Newer additions such as the PathAI Diagnostics business from PathAI may have helped DGX develop cutting-edge AI and digital pathology solutions to improve cancer diagnosis and other diseases. The acquisition of LifeLabs from OMERS, completed in August 2024, likely improved access to diagnostic innovation for patients in North America. We assume all these positive developments will have been favorably reflected in the company’s revenues in the third quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, the declining revenues from COVID-19 testing services likely have restricted the full growth potential of the segment.
Per our model, DIS revenues for the third quarter suggest a 3.6% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
What Our Model Unveils for DGX
Per our proven model, a stock with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold), along with a positive Earnings ESP, has a higher chance of beating estimates, which is not the case here, as you can see.
Earnings ESP: Quest Diagnostics has an Earnings ESP of -1.47%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Other Top MedTech Picks
Here are some medical stocks worth considering, as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this time:
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (ACAD - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.92% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2024 results on Nov. 7. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
ACAD’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 42.37%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s third-quarter EPS is expected to surge 127.5% from the year-ago quarter figure.
RadNet (RDNT - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +20.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2024 results on Nov. 13.
RDNT’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and broke even once, with the average surprise being 98.23%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RadNet’s third-quarter EPS is expected to increase by 21.4% from the year-ago quarter figure.
Masimo (MASI - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.40% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is likely to release third-quarter 2024 results on Nov. 5.
The company’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 14.63%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MASI’s 2024 third-quarter EPS is expected to improve 33.3% from the year-ago reported figure.