Labcorp (NYSE:LH) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Labcorp (NYSE:LH) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Labcorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Labcorp from $270.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Labcorp in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $334.00 price target on Labcorp in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Labcorp in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Labcorp has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $308.00.

Labcorp Trading Up 0.2%

Labcorp stock opened at $256.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.54. The company has a market capitalization of $21.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.71, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.91. Labcorp has a one year low of $239.67 and a one year high of $293.72. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $270.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $267.33.

Labcorp (NYSE:LH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The medical research company reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.09 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.51 billion. Labcorp had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 16.29%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.84 earnings per share. Labcorp has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-18.350 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Labcorp will post 18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Jonathan C. Meltzer sold 87 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.42, for a total value of $25,266.54. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,782 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $807,948.44. This trade represents a 3.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brian J. Caveney sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.31, for a total value of $429,465.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,619,935.17. This represents a 4.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 16,113 shares of company stock valued at $4,547,450. 0.84% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Labcorp

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LH. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Labcorp during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Labcorp during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Labcorp during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Labcorp during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Labcorp during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 95.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Labcorp News

Here are the key news stories impacting Labcorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat Street estimates — EPS of $4.25 vs. $4.09 est. and revenue of $3.54B vs. $3.51B, with revenue up ~5.8% year?over?year. Management pointed to broad segment growth driving the beat. Labcorp Announces 2026 First Quarter Results; Raises Full Year 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY2026 guidance — EPS guidance range set to $17.70–$18.35 and revenue guidance roughly $14.7B–$14.8B, reflecting steady diagnostics demand that management says supports continued growth. Labcorp raises full-year forecasts on steady diagnostics demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst reaction was initially favorable — outlets noted pre?market gains after the beat and the raised view, signaling positive near?term sentiment from some desks. LH Stock Up in Pre-Market on Q1 Earnings & Revenue Beat, 2026 View Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and call transcript are available for deeper review (slides, PR, and call transcript). Useful for investors who want line?by?line detail on margins, segment trends and cadence. Labcorp Holdings Inc. 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation Labcorp Holdings Inc. (LH) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer?term valuation context: coverage pieces highlight LH as a value/quality name given its margin profile and ROE, which may attract income/value investors. Here’s Why Labcorp Holdings (LH) is a Strong Value Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction turned muted/negative intraday — reasons include guidance that is only modestly above consensus (company range roughly in line with Street forecasts), possible profit?taking after the beat, and limited incremental upside in margin guidance. This helps explain why the stock is down despite the beat. Compared to Estimates, Labcorp (LH) Q1 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

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.