Labcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LH) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Labcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LH) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $300.75.

LH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Labcorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Labcorp in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Labcorp from $317.00 to $319.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Labcorp from $325.00 to $320.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $313.00 target price on shares of Labcorp in a report on Wednesday, January 14th.

Key Stories Impacting Labcorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Labcorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS beat estimates — LH reported $4.07 vs. consensus ~$3.95, showing ~18% EPS growth and improved profitability metrics. Labcorp Holdings (LH) Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Company gave FY2026 guidance for adjusted EPS $17.55–$18.25 and revenue $14.61B–$14.79B, and projected higher free cash flow — guidance supports multi-year earnings growth assumptions. Labcorp Announces 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted operational wins that can support long-term revenue expansion: 13 health-system/local lab partnerships, >130 new specialty tests launched in 2025, and a planned 500k sq ft central lab investment. Labcorp Announces 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 guidance is broadly in line with consensus (midpoint roughly matches Street estimates), leaving limited surprise upside from guidance alone. Labcorp forecasts upbeat annual profit on strong demand for diagnostic products
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations: Q4 revenue was $3.52B vs. consensus ~$3.56B (though up ~5.6% YoY), driving concern that top-line momentum is weaker than EPS suggests. Labcorp beats Q4 earnings estimates, revenue falls short
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares slipped on the revenue miss and cautious commentary, with pre-market/early trading weakness noted in several outlets. Labcorp Q4 Earnings Beat, Revenues Miss, Stock Down in Pre-Market
• Negative Sentiment: Insider activity: the CEO sold about $1.5M of stock recently — a potential near-term sentiment headwind for investors. Insider Selling: Labcorp (NYSE:LH) CEO Sells $1,499,535.74 in Stock

Insider Activity at Labcorp

In other news, CEO Adam H. Schechter sold 5,273 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.38, for a total value of $1,499,535.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,343 shares in the company, valued at $24,838,602.34. This represents a 5.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Jonathan C. Meltzer sold 87 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $807,948.44. This represents a 3.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.84% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LH. Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Labcorp during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Labcorp in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in Labcorp in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in Labcorp during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Labcorp during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. 95.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Labcorp Price Performance

Labcorp stock opened at $276.53 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.03. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $264.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $268.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.55. Labcorp has a 1 year low of $209.38 and a 1 year high of $293.72.

Labcorp (NYSE:LH) last posted 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. The business had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.56 billion. Labcorp had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 15.85%. The company’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.45 earnings per share. Labcorp has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.550-18.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Labcorp will post 16.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Labcorp Announces Dividend

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

About Labcorp

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.