Labcorp (NYSE:LH) Sets New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Labcorp beat quarterly expectations: EPS came in at $4.78 versus the $4.64 consensus, while revenue reached $3.81 billion, up 6.9% year over year and above estimates of $3.76 billion.
• Shares reached a new 52-week high of $371 after the earnings announcement, closing sharply above the prior session’s $331.17.
• The company raised its 2026 outlook and continued growth initiatives across both Diagnostics Laboratories and Biopharma Laboratory Services, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.72 per share.

Labcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LH - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $371.00 and last traded at $364.2510, with a volume of 777,458 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $331.17.

The medical research company reported $4.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.64 by $0.14. Labcorp had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.74%. The company had revenue of $3.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.18 EPS. Labcorp's revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Labcorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Labcorp's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.82%.

More Labcorp News

Here are the key news stories impacting Labcorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results exceeded expectations: Adjusted EPS was $4.78, above the $4.64 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $3.81 billion versus expectations of $3.76 billion. Revenue increased 6.9% year over year, and adjusted earnings rose from $4.18 a year earlier. LH Stock Rises on Q3 Earnings and Revenue Beat, 2026 View Up
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year guidance was raised: Labcorp now expects enterprise revenue growth of 5.9% to 6.7% in 2026 and adjusted EPS of $18.30 to $18.70, signaling management’s confidence in sustained demand and profitability. Labcorp Boosts FY26 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Both operating segments grew: Diagnostics Laboratories revenue rose 6.5% to $2.95 billion, while Biopharma Laboratory Services revenue increased 8.5% to $866.7 million. Margin expansion further supported the earnings beat.
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives continued: Labcorp announced or completed four transactions, including the acquisition of MLM Medical Labs and agreements involving BioReference Health, Myriad Genetics and Millennium Health. The FDA also approved the company’s PGDx elio tissue complete CDx companion diagnostic for advanced melanoma. Labcorp Reports Strong 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Labcorp is expanding access to FDA-approved HPV screening tests through a partnership with Waters, potentially supporting future diagnostics adoption, although the impact is expected later in 2026. Waters and Labcorp Expand Access to HPV Screening Tests
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity remains a potential overhang: insiders made no open-market purchases and completed multiple sales during the past six months. These transactions do not necessarily reflect management’s near-term outlook.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on LH shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and set a $306.00 price objective on shares of Labcorp in a research report on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Labcorp from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Robert W. Baird set a $352.00 target price on shares of Labcorp in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Labcorp from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Labcorp from $308.00 to $338.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Labcorp has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $337.73.

Insider Activity

In other Labcorp news, CEO Adam H. Schechter sold 4,669 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.37, for a total transaction of $1,495,807.53. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 102,565 shares in the company, valued at $32,858,749.05. This represents a 4.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Kerrii B. Anderson sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.02, for a total transaction of $954,060.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 6,563 shares in the company, valued at $2,087,165.26. This represents a 31.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,593 shares of company stock valued at $2,733,295. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Labcorp by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,226,446 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $607,241,000 after buying an additional 22,170 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Labcorp by 2.2% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,332,775 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $355,569,000 after acquiring an additional 28,584 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Labcorp by 19.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 820,442 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $218,901,000 after acquiring an additional 133,549 shares in the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor purchased a new stake in Labcorp in the second quarter valued at approximately $168,222,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Labcorp by 47.3% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 579,036 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $154,493,000 after acquiring an additional 185,847 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.94% of the company's stock.

Labcorp Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $29.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $321.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $285.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

About Labcorp

Labcorp NYSE: LH, formally Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, is a global life sciences and healthcare company headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina. The company provides laboratory testing and diagnostic services to physicians, hospitals, health systems, employers, insurers and consumers.

Through its diagnostics operations, Labcorp offers routine and specialty testing, oncology diagnostics, women's health testing, genetic testing, pathology services and other laboratory services.

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