QGEN's Q4 Earnings Meet Estimates, Revenues Up Y/Y, Stock Down

Core Insights - QIAGEN N.V. reported fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 62 cents, consistent with the constant exchange rate (CER), and a year-over-year increase of 1.6% [1][8] - The company's net sales for the fourth quarter reached $540.4 million, reflecting a 3.7% year-over-year growth, and exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.36% [3][8] - For the full year, adjusted EPS was $2.38, marking a 9.2% increase from the previous year [2] Revenue Performance - QIAGEN's total revenues for 2025 amounted to $2.09 billion, up 5.7% from the prior year [3] - Revenue breakdown for Q4 included: - Sample technologies: $175 million, up 8% (5% at CER) [4] - Diagnostic solutions: $201 million, up 3% (1% at CER) [5] - PCR / Nucleic acid amplification: $78 million, down 6% (9% at CER) [5] - Genomics / NGS: $69 million, up 4% (2% at CER) [6] - Other revenues: $18 million, up 20% (19% at CER) [6] Operational Update - Total cost of sales in Q4 increased by 14.8%, leading to an adjusted gross profit decline of 1.9% to $340.2 million [7] - Adjusted gross margin contracted by 359 basis points to 62.9% [7] - Sales and marketing expenses rose by 6.1% to $120.7 million, while R&D expenses decreased by 2.8% to $47.2 million [7] Margin and Income Analysis - Adjusted operating income fell by 11.1% year-over-year to $139.1 million, with the adjusted operating margin contracting by 429 basis points to 25.7% [9] - The company experienced margin pressure due to higher costs, impacting overall profitability [8] Financial Position - QIAGEN ended Q4 2025 with cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaling $1.10 billion, a slight decrease from $1.15 billion at the end of 2024 [10] - Cumulative net cash from operating activities was $654.3 million, down from $673.6 million in the previous year [10] Future Outlook - For 2026, QIAGEN anticipates net sales growth of approximately 5% at CER, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues at $2.21 billion [11] - Adjusted EPS is projected to be at least $2.50 at CER, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate at $2.62 [11] - For Q1 2026, net sales are expected to rise about 1% at CER from $483 million in the prior year, with an adjusted EPS forecast of at least 54 cents [12]