REAL-TIME GLOBAL RESEARCH
Durable Tailwinds
Research evidence excerpt
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M
Idea
August 19, 2026 04:01 AM GMT
Quest Diagnostics Inc. | North America
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Erin Wright
Equity Analyst
Durable Tailwinds
Michelle Foley
Research Associate
We hosted DGX VP of Finance for meetings today. It
emphasized durable utilization trends, with structural demand
supporting sustained growth. Consumer tracking towards ~30%
y/y rev. growth. Prioritizing profitable MRD scaling. Margins
expanding through '27 and macro largely manageable. Reit OW.
Linda Bolduc
Equity Analyst
Derek Gross
Research Associate
Craig Hettenbach
Equity Analyst
Key Takeaways
Jialin Jin
Research Associate
Utilization remains strong across all channels. MSD% 'same-store' CoLab revenue
growth in 2Q offers a strong read on hospital utilization.
Consumer testing remains a standout, growing closer to ~30% in '26.
Partnerships help market its testing capabilities at relatively low incremental
cost.
DGX expects margin expansion (75-100bps '24-'27), supported by Corewell/
Fresenius ramp, Invigorate savings and strong utilization despite PAMA
uncertainty.
It emphasized multiple growth levers in utilization, advanced diagnostics, hospital
partnerships, consumer, and M&A.
These drivers support a new era for DGX w/ also inherent advantages as a high
quality/lower cost solution across the HC system translating into LT share gains.
Utilization Steady with Supportive Underlying Trends: DGX expects utilization to
stay strong. Physician segment revenue growth has been +HSD%, supported by
Quest Diagnostics Inc. (DGX.N, DGX UN)
Healthcare Services & Distribution | United States of
America
Stock Rating
Industry View
Price target
Shr price, close (Aug 18, 2026)
Mkt cap, curr (mm)
52-Week Range
Fiscal Year Ending
ModelWare EPS ($)
EPS ($)**
EPS ($)§
P/E**
Div yld (%)
9.85
9.81
17.6
1.8
are also healthy; the ~$1.2B reference-testing business is growing MSD%, while the
Quarter
2025
~$1B CoLab business is benefiting from Corewell (~$250M), but still posting MSD%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2.21
2.62
2.60
2.42
req increased 2.9%, driven by higher tests per req, with unit price ~flat. Increased
11.16
11.19
21.2
1.4
11.99
12.03
19.7
1.1
12.89
…
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