Quest Diagnostics Stock Up on Q3 Earnings & Revenue Beat, Margins Rise

Core Insights - Quest Diagnostics Inc. reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.60, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.59% and up 13% year-over-year [1][8] - The company's revenues for the quarter rose 15.2% year-over-year to $2.82 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.45% [3][8] - The gross margin expanded by 110 basis points to 33.7%, indicating improved profitability [5][8] Revenue Performance - Diagnostic Information Services revenues increased by 13.5% year-over-year to $2.76 billion, exceeding projections [3] - Test volumes rose by 12.5% year-over-year, contributing to revenue growth [4][8] - Revenue per requisition saw a slight increase of 0.8% year-over-year [4] Margin and Cost Analysis - The cost of services for the quarter was $1.87 billion, up 11.3% year-over-year, while gross profit rose 17% to $949 million [5] - Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses were $501 million, an increase of 11.8% from the previous year [5] - The adjusted operating margin improved to 15.9%, reflecting a 132-basis point expansion year-over-year [5] Financial Position - At the end of Q3 2025, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $432 million, up from $319 million at the end of Q2 [6] - Cumulative net cash provided by operating activities reached $1.42 billion, compared to $858 million in the same period last year [6] - The company has a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 7.21% [6] Guidance and Outlook - Quest Diagnostics updated its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to a range of $10.96 billion to $11.00 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 11% to 11.4% [7] - Adjusted EPS guidance was raised to a range of $9.76 to $9.84, up from the previous range of $9.63 to $9.83 [7] Strategic Developments - The quarter included a joint venture agreement with Corewell Health for lab services in Michigan and the acquisition of dialysis testing assets from Fresenius Medical Care [10] - The company received FDA breakthrough device designation for the Haystack MRD test and formed collaborations with Mass General Brigham and Rutgers Cancer Institute [10]