Labcorp (NYSE:LH) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

01 May 2026, 21:49 by Amy Steele · The Cerbat Gem

Labcorp (NYSE:LH – Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The medical research company reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.09 by $0.16, FiscalAI reports. Labcorp had a return on equity of 16.16% and a net margin of 6.28%.The business had revenue of $3.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.51 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.84 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Labcorp updated its FY 2026 guidance to 17.700-18.350 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Labcorp’s conference call:

Strong Q1 results — enterprise revenue of $3.5 billion (up ~6%), adjusted operating margin +30bps to 14.4%, and adjusted EPS up ~10.6% versus prior year.
Raised full‑year guidance — company nudged the midpoint of revenue and EPS higher (FY EPS guide $17.70–$18.35, ~10% midpoint growth) and expects continued margin expansion.
BLS / central lab momentum — Biopharma Lab Services revenue up 8% with central labs double‑digit growth, an $8.6 billion backlog and a trailing‑12‑month book‑to‑bill of 1.04 (≈$2.7B expected to convert in 12 months).
Active strategic pipeline and innovation — completed targeted acquisitions and hospital collaborations (Crouse; near‑close Parkview), announced a nationwide CHOP partnership, growing consumer business (OnDemand) and launching the Labcorp Patient app plus AI/robotics partnerships to drive scale and efficiency.
Near‑term headwinds and policy risk — Q1 weather disruption (~$15M), potential fuel/logistics pressure (~$5–10M), early‑development actions weighing on growth, and uncertainty around PAMA/RESULTS Act reimbursement (company models ~30 bps diagnostic volume impact).

Labcorp Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:LH traded down $0.43 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $256.37. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 653,939 shares, compared to its average volume of 690,105. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $270.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $267.48. Labcorp has a 1 year low of $239.67 and a 1 year high of $293.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market cap of $21.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.02.

Labcorp Announces Dividend

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

More Labcorp News

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Labcorp in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Labcorp from $270.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Labcorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Labcorp from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $334.00 price objective on Labcorp in a research report on Friday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $308.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Labcorp

Insider Transactions at Labcorp

In other Labcorp news, EVP Brian J. Caveney sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.31, for a total transaction of $429,465.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,107 shares in the company, valued at $8,619,935.17. The trade was a 4.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jonathan C. Meltzer sold 87 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.42, for a total value of $25,266.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $807,948.44. This represents a 3.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 16,113 shares of company stock worth $4,547,450 in the last three months. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Labcorp

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in Labcorp in the 4th quarter worth approximately $991,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its position in shares of Labcorp by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 2,427 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $565,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Labcorp by 52.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 353,843 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $82,353,000 after acquiring an additional 121,304 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in shares of Labcorp during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,873,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Labcorp by 83.2% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 86,046 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $22,588,000 after purchasing an additional 39,087 shares in the last quarter. 95.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Labcorp

(Get Free Report)

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.