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Here's How Quest Diagnostics Is Placed Ahead of Q3 Earnings

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Key Takeaways

  • Quest Diagnostics' Q3 revenues are projected to rise 8.1% to $3.04 billion, with EPS up 9.6% to $2.85.
  • DGX's growth may benefit from broad clinical demand, greater health plan access and collaboration volumes.
  • Advanced Diagnostics, AI-driven automation and Invigorate cost savings may support DGX's Q3 performance.

Quest Diagnostics (DGX - Free Report) is set to release third-quarter 2026 results on Oct. 22, before the market opens.

In the last reported quarter, the renowned diagnostics provider posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.12, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.03%. The company beat on earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 5.77%.

Q3 Estimates for DGX

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.04 billion, indicating an increase of 8.1% from the year-ago reported figure.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EPS suggests a 9.6% rise to $2.85. 

Estimate Revision Trend Ahead of DGX’s Q3 Earnings

Estimates for Quest Diagnostics’ third-quarter earnings have remained unchanged in the past 30 days.

Here’s a brief review of the company’s performance leading up to the announcement.

Factors Likely to Influence DGX’s Q3 Results

As in the previous quarter, third-quarter 2026 revenues are expected to have been supported by broad clinical demand from physicians, hospitals and consumers and increased volume from collaborations with Corewell Health and Fresenius Medical Care.

In the physician channel, a key driver has likely been geographic expansion from greater health plan access and acquisitions. Enterprise accounts may have generated additional revenues through new customer acquisitions and expanded business with existing clients.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price and EPS Surprise

Growth in the hospital channel may have been driven by Co-Lab solutions, which leverage the company’s lab and process management expertise to optimize quality and drive cost efficiencies. In the consumer channel, as in recent quarters, the company is likely to have generated strong revenue growth from both questhealth.com and its portfolio of leading consumer health collaborations. 

In the third quarter of 2026, the company is likely to have maintained momentum in Advanced Diagnostics, which includes non-routine and specialized tests across advanced cardiometabolic, autoimmune, brain health, oncology, and women's and reproductive health areas. Offerings such as the Quest AD-Detect blood test portfolio for Alzheimer's disease, Haystack MRD, ApoB and Lp(a) as well as liverfibrosis testing for new treatments for late-stage liver disease are expected to have supported growth.

The company is also investing in AI and automation to improve laboratory efficiency and customer experiences. Front-end specimen processing automation is improving productivity, while the newly launched IntelliDraw tool aims to improve specimen collection quality and service for physician customers. Additionally, operational efficiencies and cost synergies from the Invigorate initiative are likely to have supported Quest Diagnostics' operating performance.

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 below.

Earnings ESP: Quest Diagnostics has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. 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 #3. 

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 Rank stocks here.

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 around:

TG Therapeutics (TGTX - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +71.43% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2026 results soon. 

TGTX’s earnings beat estimates in one of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining three, the average surprise being 184.65%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter EPS implies a decrease of 84.8% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

Revvity (RVTY - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.03% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The company is slated to release third-quarter 2026 results on Nov. 3.

RVTY’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.59%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter EPS indicates an increase of 9.3% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.

HeartSciences (HSCS - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.70% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The company is expected to release second-quarter fiscal 2027 results soon.

HSCS’ earnings surpassed estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed in the other two, the average negative surprise being 0.06%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal second-quarter loss per share calls for an improvement of 12.9% from the year-ago quarter’s loss.

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