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DGX Stock Up on Q2 Earnings & Revenue Beat, '26 View Raised
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Key Takeaways
Quest Diagnostics posted Q2 adjusted EPS of $3.12 as revenues climbed 10.2% to $3.04 billion.
DGX's testing demand drove growth, with requisition volume up 13.1% and organic volume rising 13.0%.
DGX raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $11.95-$12.05 billion and adjusted EPS to $11.05-$11.25.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.12 per share, up 19.1% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11%.
The adjusted results exclude certain one-time items, including amortization expenses, restructuring and integration charges, other expenses, and excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation. GAAP earnings were $2.84 per share, up 15% from the prior-year figure.
DGX’s Q2 Revenues
Revenues rose 10.2% year over year to $3.04 billion and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.1%. Growth was driven by higher testing demand, with requisition volume increasing 13.1% and organic requisition volume rising 13.0%.
DGX's Diagnostic Services Revenues Climb
Diagnostic Information Services revenues increased 10.3% year over year to $2.98 billion in the second quarter. The business accounted for nearly all of the company’s consolidated revenues and benefited from growth across physician, hospital and consumer channels.
Revenue per requisition declined 2.8% year over year. The decrease partly offset the benefit of higher volumes, but the scale of requisition growth supported double-digit revenue expansion for the segment.
DGX’s shares have gained nearly 6.2% in pre-market trading following the earnings report.
DGX's Margin Performance
The cost of services during the reported quarter was $2.02 billion, up 10.9% year over year. Gross profit was $1.03 billion, up 8.9% from $943 million in the year-ago quarter. The gross margin contracted 40 basis points to 33.7%.
Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $529 million, increasing 8.8% year over year. The operating margin narrowed 80 basis points to 15.1% in the second quarter.
DGX Strengthens Cash Flow and Liquidity
Quest Diagnostics ended the second quarter with $626 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $393 million at the end of the first quarter. During the first half, the company repurchased 0.5 million shares for $100 million, with $1.3 billion remaining under its authorization.
For the first six months of 2026, cash provided by operating activities increased 1.9% year over year to $875 million. Capital expenditures rose 12.1% to $252 million, reflecting continued investment in the business.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
The company now expects 2026 revenues to be between $11.95 billion and $12.05 billion, up from its prior range of $11.78-$11.90 billion. The revised outlook implies growth of 8.3-9.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $11.84 billion.
Adjusted diluted earnings are projected to be between $11.05 and $11.25 per share compared with the previous range of $10.63-$10.83. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the metric is pegged at $10.72.
Our View on DGX Stock
Quest Diagnostics ended the second quarter of 2026 with earnings and revenues surpassing their respective estimates. The company saw robust growth across questhealth.com, consumer partnerships and Advanced Diagnostics. During the quarter, it also advanced key collaborations, secured New York approval for Haystack MRD and expanded laboratory automation and specimen-collection tools. Driven by the robust second-quarter performance, Quest Diagnostics raised its full-year 2026 guidance.
That said, the contraction of both margins in the quarter is discouraging.
DGX’s Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks
Quest Diagnostics currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Some other top-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) , Phibro Animal Health (PAHC - Free Report) and QuidelOrtho CP (QDEL - Free Report) .
Intuitive Surgical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, posted a second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.80, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. Revenues of $2.89 billion topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.1%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ISRG’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.5%.
Phibro Animal Health, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, posted a third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of 76 cents, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9%. Revenues of $383.5 million outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.3%. PAHC’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.2%.
QuidelOrtho, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted loss of 4 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 110.8%. Revenues of $619.8 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.3%. QDEL beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
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DGX Stock Up on Q2 Earnings & Revenue Beat, '26 View Raised
Key Takeaways
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.12 per share, up 19.1% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11%.
The adjusted results exclude certain one-time items, including amortization expenses, restructuring and integration charges, other expenses, and excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation. GAAP earnings were $2.84 per share, up 15% from the prior-year figure.
DGX’s Q2 Revenues
Revenues rose 10.2% year over year to $3.04 billion and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.1%. Growth was driven by higher testing demand, with requisition volume increasing 13.1% and organic requisition volume rising 13.0%.
DGX's Diagnostic Services Revenues Climb
Diagnostic Information Services revenues increased 10.3% year over year to $2.98 billion in the second quarter. The business accounted for nearly all of the company’s consolidated revenues and benefited from growth across physician, hospital and consumer channels.
Revenue per requisition declined 2.8% year over year. The decrease partly offset the benefit of higher volumes, but the scale of requisition growth supported double-digit revenue expansion for the segment.
DGX’s shares have gained nearly 6.2% in pre-market trading following the earnings report.
DGX's Margin Performance
The cost of services during the reported quarter was $2.02 billion, up 10.9% year over year. Gross profit was $1.03 billion, up 8.9% from $943 million in the year-ago quarter. The gross margin contracted 40 basis points to 33.7%.
Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $529 million, increasing 8.8% year over year. The operating margin narrowed 80 basis points to 15.1% in the second quarter.
DGX Strengthens Cash Flow and Liquidity
Quest Diagnostics ended the second quarter with $626 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $393 million at the end of the first quarter. During the first half, the company repurchased 0.5 million shares for $100 million, with $1.3 billion remaining under its authorization.
For the first six months of 2026, cash provided by operating activities increased 1.9% year over year to $875 million. Capital expenditures rose 12.1% to $252 million, reflecting continued investment in the business.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Quote
Quest Diagnostics Raises 2026 Outlook
The company now expects 2026 revenues to be between $11.95 billion and $12.05 billion, up from its prior range of $11.78-$11.90 billion. The revised outlook implies growth of 8.3-9.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $11.84 billion.
Adjusted diluted earnings are projected to be between $11.05 and $11.25 per share compared with the previous range of $10.63-$10.83. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the metric is pegged at $10.72.
Our View on DGX Stock
Quest Diagnostics ended the second quarter of 2026 with earnings and revenues surpassing their respective estimates. The company saw robust growth across questhealth.com, consumer partnerships and Advanced Diagnostics. During the quarter, it also advanced key collaborations, secured New York approval for Haystack MRD and expanded laboratory automation and specimen-collection tools. Driven by the robust second-quarter performance, Quest Diagnostics raised its full-year 2026 guidance.
That said, the contraction of both margins in the quarter is discouraging.
DGX’s Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks
Quest Diagnostics currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Some other top-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Intuitive Surgical (ISRG - Free Report) , Phibro Animal Health (PAHC - Free Report) and QuidelOrtho CP (QDEL - Free Report) .
Intuitive Surgical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, posted a second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.80, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. Revenues of $2.89 billion topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.1%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ISRG’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.5%.
Phibro Animal Health, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, posted a third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of 76 cents, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9%. Revenues of $383.5 million outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.3%. PAHC’s earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 16.2%.
QuidelOrtho, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2, reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted loss of 4 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 110.8%. Revenues of $619.8 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.3%. QDEL beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion.