Labcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LH) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Labcorp carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” from 11 analysts (8 buys, 3 holds) with an average 1‑year price target of $308.
• Earnings and guidance: Q1 beat estimates (EPS $4.25 vs. $4.09; revenue $3.54B vs. $3.51B, +5.8% YoY) and management raised FY2026 guidance to $17.70–$18.35 EPS and roughly $14.7–$14.8B in revenue.
• Market reaction and corporate moves: The stock traded muted/negative intraday despite the beat—cited reasons include only modest upside to consensus guidance and profit‑taking—while insiders (including the CEO) sold shares and the company declared a $0.72 quarterly dividend (annualized $2.88, ~1.1% yield).

Labcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LH - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eleven analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $308.00.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Labcorp in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Labcorp from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Labcorp from $319.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Labcorp from $270.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $334.00 price objective on shares of Labcorp in a research note on Friday.

Key Headlines Impacting Labcorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Labcorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat Street estimates — EPS of $4.25 vs. $4.09 est. and revenue of $3.54B vs. $3.51B, with revenue up ~5.8% year‑over‑year. Management pointed to broad segment growth driving the beat. Labcorp Announces 2026 First Quarter Results; Raises Full Year 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY2026 guidance — EPS guidance range set to $17.70–$18.35 and revenue guidance roughly $14.7B–$14.8B, reflecting steady diagnostics demand that management says supports continued growth. Labcorp raises full-year forecasts on steady diagnostics demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst reaction was initially favorable — outlets noted pre‑market gains after the beat and the raised view, signaling positive near‑term sentiment from some desks. LH Stock Up in Pre-Market on Q1 Earnings & Revenue Beat, 2026 View Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and call transcript are available for deeper review (slides, PR, and call transcript). Useful for investors who want line‑by‑line detail on margins, segment trends and cadence. Labcorp Holdings Inc. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Labcorp Holdings Inc. (LH) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term valuation context: coverage pieces highlight LH as a value/quality name given its margin profile and ROE, which may attract income/value investors. Here's Why Labcorp Holdings (LH) is a Strong Value Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction turned muted/negative intraday — reasons include guidance that is only modestly above consensus (company range roughly in line with Street forecasts), possible profit‑taking after the beat, and limited incremental upside in margin guidance. This helps explain why the stock is down despite the beat. Compared to Estimates, Labcorp (LH) Q1 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

Labcorp Price Performance

Shares of LH stock opened at $256.37 on Monday. Labcorp has a fifty-two week low of $239.67 and a fifty-two week high of $293.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.71, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $270.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $267.33.

Labcorp (NYSE:LH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The medical research company reported $4.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.09 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $3.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.51 billion. Labcorp had a return on equity of 16.29% and a net margin of 6.66%.The company's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.84 earnings per share. Labcorp has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-18.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Labcorp will post 18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Labcorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Labcorp's dividend payout ratio is currently 27.53%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Labcorp news, CEO Adam H. Schechter sold 8,705 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $279.96, for a total value of $2,437,051.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 80,773 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,613,209.08. This represents a 9.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Der Vaart Sandra D. Van sold 548 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.91, for a total value of $156,130.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $734,782.89. This represents a 17.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,113 shares of company stock worth $4,547,450. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Labcorp during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Labcorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Labcorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Motco acquired a new position in shares of Labcorp during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Labcorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 95.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Labcorp

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, commonly known as Labcorp NYSE: LH, is a global life sciences company that provides comprehensive clinical laboratory and drug development services. The company operates a broad network of laboratories, patient service centers and specialty testing sites to deliver diagnostic information and testing solutions that support patient care, clinical decision-making and population health initiatives.

Labcorp's core businesses encompass clinical laboratory testing and pharmaceutical development services.

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