Quest Diagnostics (DGX) Up 2.6% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

Core Viewpoint - Quest Diagnostics has shown a positive performance in its stock price, outperforming the S&P 500, but there are questions about whether this trend will continue leading up to the next earnings release [1] Financial Performance - Quest Diagnostics reported Q3 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.60, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.59% and up 13% from the previous year [2] - The company's GAAP earnings were $2.16 per share, reflecting an 8.5% increase year-over-year [3] - Revenues for Q3 rose 15.2% year-over-year to $2.82 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.45% [4] - Diagnostic Information Services revenues increased by 13.5% year-over-year to $2.76 billion, exceeding projections [4] - Volumes measured by requisitions were up 12.5% year-over-year, with revenue per requisition increasing by 0.8% [5] Margin Analysis - The cost of services in Q3 was $1.87 billion, up 11.3% year-over-year, while gross profit rose 17% to $949 million [6] - The gross margin improved to 33.7%, an increase of 110 basis points [6] - SG&A expenses totaled $501 million, up 11.8% from the previous year, with an adjusted operating margin of 15.9%, representing a 132-basis point expansion [6] Financial Position - At the end of Q3 2025, Quest Diagnostics had cash and cash equivalents of $432 million, up from $319 million at the end of Q2 [7] - The cumulative net cash provided by operating activities was $1.42 billion, compared to $858 million a year ago [7] - The company has a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 7.21% [7] Guidance - Quest Diagnostics updated its full-year 2025 revenue outlook to a range of $10.96-$11.00 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 11-11.4% [8] - Adjusted EPS is expected to be in the range of $9.76-$9.84, up from previous estimates [8] Market Sentiment - There has been a downward trend in estimates revision for the stock over the past month [10] - Quest Diagnostics holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expectations for an in-line return in the coming months [12] - The company has a Growth Score of B, a Momentum Score of F, and a Value Score of B, placing it in the top 40% for value investors [11]