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LH FY2025 Q4 IMPROVING

Labcorp Holdings Inc. earnings call

Feb 17, 2026 · 09:00 ET Adam SchechterJulia WangKristen O'Donnell
Buzzberg read

PAMA delay provides temporary relief, but permanent reform sought

LabCorp reported strong Q4 2025 with revenue growth and margin expansion, driven by diagnostics and central labs. For 2026, they guide to continued growth and EPS improvement. They emphasize strategic investments in specialty testing and technology, while addressing headwinds like PAMA delay and ACA subsidy expiration. Q4 2025 revenue growth of 5.6% and organic growth of 3.8% exceeded expectations; BLS central lab grew ~8% constant currency.

Buzzberg read PAMA delay provides temporary relief, but permanent reform sought LabCorp reported strong Q4 2025 with revenue growth and margin expansion, driven by diagnostics and central labs. For 2026, they guide to continued growth and EPS improvement. They emphasize strategic investments in specialty testing and technology, while addressing headwinds like PAMA delay and ACA subsidy expiration. Q4 2025 revenue growth of 5.6% and organic growth of 3.8% exceeded expectations; BLS central lab grew ~8% constant currency. Read full analysisCollapse analysis

LabCorp reported strong Q4 2025 with revenue growth and margin expansion, driven by diagnostics and central labs. For 2026, they guide to continued growth and EPS improvement. They emphasize strategic investments in specialty testing and technology, while addressing headwinds like PAMA delay and ACA subsidy expiration. Q4 2025 revenue growth of 5.6% and organic growth of 3.8% exceeded expectations; BLS central lab grew ~8% constant currency.

  • Adjusted EPS grew 18% YoY to $4.07, with margins expanding 120 bps.
  • 2026 Revenue and EPS growth guided at ~5.4% and ~9% respectively, with margin expansion in both segments.
  • Company expects PAMA delay till end of 2026; continues to advocate for permanent fix (Results Act).
Revenue $3.5158B reported
EPS $4.07 reported
Gross margin 26.18% reported
Op margin 10.87% reported

What changed this quarter

01
Regulation

PAMA delay provides temporary relief, but permanent reform sought

LabCorp reported strong Q4 2025 with revenue growth and margin expansion, driven by diagnostics and central labs. For 2026, they guide to continued growth and EPS improvement. They emphasize strategic investments in specialty testing and technology, while addressing headwinds…

02
Margins

Early development streamlining to reduce revenue but boost margins

Reported gross margin was 26.18%, reinforcing the quarter's better-than-guided profitability.

03
Demand

Central lab growth supported by strong backlog and book-to-bill

Management expressed confidence in 2026 guidance, highlighted strong pipeline and momentum, and reiterated commitment to strategic priorities and growth.

04
M&A

M&A pipeline robust, targeting hospital and lab acquisitions

2026 Revenue and EPS growth guided at ~5.4% and ~9% respectively, with margin expansion in both segments.

AI, capex & demand read

AI

Platform & monetization

Management highlighted the use of AI and automation in areas like pathology, psychology, and microbiology, and mentioned AI-powered solutions for appointment scheduling, results reporting, and a test finder for physicians. They also discussed Global Trial Connect to accelerate clinical trials, but did not provide specific details on monetization or competitive positioning.

Demand

Bookings & conversion

Central lab growth supported by strong backlog and book-to-bill. Management expressed confidence in 2026 guidance, highlighted strong pipeline and momentum, and reiterated commitment to strategic priorities and growth.

Capex

Investment and capacity

Capital expenditures are expected to increase to approximately 4% of revenue in 2026, up from prior years, as the company begins investing in a new 500,000+ square foot central laboratory and kit production facility to support long-term growth in the central lab business.

Tone · Confident

Management expressed confidence in 2026 guidance, highlighted strong pipeline and momentum, and reiterated commitment to strategic priorities and growth.

Supply-chain alpha

A1

LabCorp is reducing early development business by $50M revenue to streamline and increase operating income by Q2 2026.

“we continue to focus on streamlining our business, which will reduce annual revenue by $50 million and increase operating income.”
Julia Wang
A2

Company installed new automated mass spectrometry system from Roche Diagnostics, signaling capex spend and automation shift.

“LabCorp became the first US commercial laboratory to enter in an agreement to implement Roche's fully automated mass spectrometry solution.”
Adam Schechter

Forward guidance

ImprovingGuidance · revenue to 5.35%
Forward guidance
MetricPeriodRangeMidpointStatus
EPSFY2026$17.55–$18.25$17.90GUIDED
Free cash flowFY2026$1.24B–$1.36B$1.3BGUIDED
RevenueFY20264.7%–6%5.35%GUIDED

Company read-throughs

+80.6%
since call
$92.07$166.29
Supply chainSupply-chain alpha

LabCorp is reducing early development business by $50M revenue to streamline and increase operating income by Q2 2026. — Signals softening demand in early development (ED) segment, indicating competitive pressure across CROs; a retreat from ED suggests LabCorp sees better capital allocation elsewhere.

-6.5%
since call
$59.50$55.65
Supply chainSupply-chain alpha

Company installed new automated mass spectrometry system from Roche Diagnostics, signaling capex spend and automation shift. — This could provide Roche with a flagship reference site and competitive edge in lab automation, signaling potential share gains for Roche's diagnostics segment.