Quest Diagnostics shares climbed 7.3% in pre-open trading after the company released second-quarter 2026 results that beat expectations on both the bottom and top lines. The laboratory testing company reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.12, compared with the Wall Street consensus of $2.82. Quarterly revenue totaled $3.04 billion, ahead of the $2.97 billion analysts had expected, and representing year-over-year revenue growth of 10.2%.
Alongside the quarterly figures, Quest lifted its full-year 2026 targets. The company now expects revenue in the range of $11.95 billion to $12.05 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.05 to $11.25. Both the revenue and adjusted EPS targets sit above prior consensus estimates, according to the company announcement released before the market opened.
The latest results continue a pattern of outperformance at Quest. The company has topped Wall Street bottom-line expectations in each of the prior four quarters, and the recent beat extends that streak to a fifth consecutive period.
Analyst reaction added to the upward pressure on the stock. Jefferies raised its price target to $225 from $220 and kept a Buy rating on the shares, citing the sales and earnings beats as support for the higher valuation. That analyst move provided additional momentum in pre-market trading.
Quest’s gain came amid a weak broader market. The S&P 500 was down 0.8%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.85%, and the Nasdaq declined 1.2% at the same time, indicating that the move in Quest Diagnostics was driven by company-specific news rather than a general market rally. The stock’s pre-market price of $225.09 pushed it above its prior 52-week high of $219.20, marking a fresh multi-year peak.
In aggregate, the combination of a notable earnings surprise, an increase to full-year guidance, and an analyst price-target upgrade combined to deliver a strong single-day reaction for Quest Diagnostics, lifting the shares even as the wider market retreated. The results reinforce the company’s recent track record of executing on expectations within the diagnostics sector.
Contextual notes
- Second-quarter adjusted EPS: $3.12 (consensus $2.82)
- Second-quarter revenue: $3.04 billion (consensus $2.97 billion) - year-over-year growth 10.2%
- Updated full-year 2026 guidance: revenue $11.95 billion to $12.05 billion; adjusted EPS $11.05 to $11.25
- Jefferies price-target raised to $225 from $220; rating Buy
- Pre-market price reached $225.09, above prior 52-week high of $219.20