Labcorp (NYSE:LH) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Labcorp (NYSE:LH) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 17.550-18.250 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 17.560. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.6 billion-$14.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $14.7 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on LH shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Labcorp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Labcorp from $319.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Labcorp in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Labcorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Labcorp from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $302.75.

Labcorp Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LH opened at $279.10 on Thursday. Labcorp has a 52 week low of $209.38 and a 52 week high of $293.72. The firm has a market cap of $23.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.42. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $264.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $268.99.

Labcorp (NYSE:LH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The medical research company reported $4.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.95 by $0.12. Labcorp had a return on equity of 16.16% and a net margin of 6.28%.The firm had revenue of $3.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.56 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.45 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Labcorp has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.550-18.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Labcorp will post 16.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Labcorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.72 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Labcorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.29%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jonathan C. Meltzer sold 87 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.42, for a total value of $25,266.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,782 shares in the company, valued at $807,948.44. This represents a 3.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Adam H. Schechter sold 5,273 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total transaction of $1,499,535.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,343 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,838,602.34. The trade was a 5.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Labcorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Labcorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and raised FY guidance: LH reported Q4 EPS of $4.07 vs. $3.95 expected and issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $17.55–18.25, signaling strong profitability trends and giving investors confidence in cash flow/earnings visibility. Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price‑target upgrades: JPMorgan raised its target to $330 (overweight) and Robert W. Baird raised to $326 (outperform), both implying double‑digit upside from recent levels and providing buy‑side momentum. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Company outlook and demand commentary: Management and Reuters coverage highlighted strong demand for diagnostic products and an upbeat annual profit forecast, supporting longer‑term growth expectations. Reuters: Forecasts Upbeat Annual Profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Alzheimer’s blood‑test & neurology hire sparks valuation debate: A Yahoo Finance piece flags a potential long‑term upside catalyst (diagnostic innovation and specialty assets) but also raises questions about how that should be valued today — a mixed signal for short‑term traders. Alzheimer’s Blood Test And Neurology Hire Spark Valuation Debate
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive coverage on value metrics: Zacks and other outlets flagged LH as a strong value/quality stock based on style scores and fundamentals, which can attract longer‑term investors but may not move price immediately. Zacks: Strong Value Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational color: Company presentations and “deep dive” coverage note specialty testing and hospital partnerships helped offset volume headwinds — supportive for margin resilience but showing mixed volume dynamics. Q4 Deep Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and cautious market reaction: Revenue for Q4 came in below consensus, which prompted a cautious investor response and pre‑market weakness despite the EPS beat — the main near‑term drag on the stock. Seeking Alpha: Stock Slips After Revenue Miss

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Labcorp

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

Labcorp Company Profile

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.