Should you buy Quest Diagnostics Inc. at $259.65?
See what the price requires, what could disappoint, and how the purchase changes your exposure.
Price as of Nov 13, 2026, 9:01 AM UTC (polygon last daily bar) · Financial evidence through Feb 26, 2026
Inspect the public analysis below, or continue directly with your own investment case.
What has to happen for the investment to work?
The selected assumptions produce $112.97–$262.64 per share. Discount rate explains the largest part of that range. Test it below.
| Investment driver | Reported evidence | Base-case assumption | What the price requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | Trailing 4-year revenue CAGR of 3.7%, faded toward terminal growth over 5 years. | 3.74% | 18.93% |
| Cash margin | 11.0% trailing (Polygon vX financials) | Operating margin (steady-state): 13.96% | Implied steady-state operating margin: 19.45% |
| Discount rate | CAPM baseline: 4.98% risk-free + β0.30 × 5.5% ERP = 7.98%. | 7.98% | Held fixed |
Compare the cases before committing capital.
| Downside | Base | Upside | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free cash flow vs stored forecast | −15% | Stored | +15% |
| Discount rate | 8.98% | 7.98% | 6.98% |
| Calculated value per share | $112.97 | $174.14 | $262.64 |
| Difference from reference price | -56.5% | -32.9% | +1.1% |
| Main condition | Cash generation disappoints and capital costs more | Stored forecast holds | Cash generation beats and capital costs less |
These are conditional valuation results. Each case's assumptions are listed in the table.
What would the purchase mean for you?
Investigate the assumption with the largest effect.
Changing discount rate from 7.98% to 8.98% changes the calculated value from $174.14 to $140.52.
The supporting evidence is CAPM baseline: 4.98% risk-free + β0.30 × 5.5% ERP = 7.98%..
Keep this buying case under review.
Save your proposed investment, selected assumptions, and scenarios. Choose the developments that should reopen the decision, then return to the same case when the evidence changes.
What could change the conclusion?
- Nov 13, 2026 · Labcorp lifts FY26 guide but flags $125M 2027 PAMA Medicare fee cut — industry-wide PAMA fee schedule headwind to Medicare fee-for-service revenue
- Nov 13, 2026 · Labcorp raises FY guidance but flags $125M Medicare PAMA fee headwind in 2027 — industry-wide clinical laboratory fee schedule compression under CMS rules
Next relevant disclosure or review condition: Re-underwrite if revenue growth, margins, or the cost of capital diverge materially from the stored assumptions. (last filing Feb 26, 2026).
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