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

Labcorp Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LH) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $336.3636.

LH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Labcorp from $308.00 to $338.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Labcorp from $300.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Labcorp from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $352.00 target price on Labcorp in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Mizuho set a $355.00 price target on Labcorp in a research note on Monday, August 10th.

Key Labcorp News

Here are the key news stories impacting Labcorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Labcorp reaffirmed its 2026 guidance of adjusted EPS of $18.10 to $18.55, broadly consistent with the analyst consensus of $18.32. Maintaining guidance supports confidence in near-term earnings visibility. Labcorp Holdings Reiterates 2026 Outlook, Issues Long-Term Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company issued a 2029 outlook calling for compound annual revenue growth of 5% to 8% and adjusted EPS growth of 8.5% to 11.5%. The targets imply sustained expansion beyond the current year and could support a higher long-term earnings outlook. Labcorp 2026 Investor Day Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Labcorp plans to use artificial intelligence, specialty testing, scientific capabilities and global scale to drive growth. Management also emphasized strong cash-flow generation and disciplined capital deployment, which may improve shareholder returns if execution meets expectations. Labcorp Bets Big on AI and Specialty Testing
• Neutral Sentiment: The Investor Day transcript provided additional detail on Labcorp’s strategic priorities and long-term financial framework, but the benefits depend on successful implementation and investment in new technologies and testing capabilities. Labcorp Analyst and Investor Day Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: LH recently declined about 4.3% and underperformed peers, indicating that investors may have viewed the Investor Day information as insufficient to justify the stock’s elevated valuation or may have taken profits despite the favorable long-term targets. Labcorp Stock Heads Into the Open After a 4.3 Percent Slide

Labcorp Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of Labcorp stock opened at $311.36 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $310.39 and its 200 day moving average is $281.94. Labcorp has a one year low of $244.52 and a one year high of $341.80. The firm has a market cap of $25.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.53.

Labcorp (NYSE:LH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The medical research company reported $4.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.78 by $0.21. Labcorp had a return on equity of 16.74% and a net margin of 6.99%.The business had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.71 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.35 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Labcorp has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.100-18.550 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Labcorp will post 18.32 EPS for the current year.

Labcorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 11th. Investors of record on Friday, August 28th were issued a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 28th. Labcorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.82%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Labcorp news, Director Kerrii B. Anderson sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $318.02, for a total value of $954,060.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,563 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,087,165.26. This trade represents a 31.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Amy B. Summy sold 924 shares of Labcorp stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.74, for a total transaction of $283,427.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,133,683.44. This represents a 11.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,919 shares of company stock worth $2,826,593 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.84% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Labcorp

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LH. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Labcorp by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 127,231 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $35,625,000 after purchasing an additional 6,595 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Labcorp by 12.4% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 30,559 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $8,557,000 after purchasing an additional 3,372 shares in the last quarter. Capital Analysts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Labcorp by 0.5% in the second quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 15,250 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $4,270,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Labcorp by 6.7% during the second quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 2,099 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $588,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Labcorp by 12.4% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,004 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $3,081,000 after buying an additional 1,210 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.94% of the company’s stock.

Labcorp Company Profile

Labcorp (NYSE: LH), formerly Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, is a global life sciences and laboratory services company headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina. The company provides diagnostic testing and related services to physicians, hospitals, health systems, employers, government agencies and consumers.

Its diagnostics business offers routine and specialty laboratory testing, including molecular, genetic, oncology, women’s health, infectious disease and pathology services.