RMD - Is It the Right Time to Hold Labcorp in Your Portfolio? | Benzinga
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE: LH), or Labcorp's, focused efforts in the high-growth areas position it for strong growth in the upcoming quarters. The company has an extensive set of acquisition opportunities in hospitals and local laboratories, which is also encouraging. Moreover, the LaunchPad initiative is on track to achieve its targeted savings.
Meanwhile, the brunt of macroeconomic impacts on Labcorp's operations remains a concern. Unfavorable solvency also adds to the worry.
In the past year, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has declined 2.8% compared with the 2.3% fall of the industry and a 23.6% increase of the S&P 500 composite.
The renowned healthcare diagnostics company has a market capitalization of $17.61 billion. Labcorp has an earnings yield of 7.31% compared to the industry's 5.48%. In the trailing four quarters, the company delivered an average earnings surprise of 1.38%.
Let's delve deeper.
Factors at Play
Targeted Development in High-Growth Areas: Labcorp is focusing more on key growth areas such as oncology, women's health, autoimmune disease and neurology. By developing, licensing and ultimately scaling specialty testing, including companion diagnostics, the company is setting the stage for significant near-term growth. Additionally, Labcorp is well-placed for long-term success in Cell & Gene Therapy, expanding into the consumer market and international growth through the specialty testing and biopharma business.
The launch of the pTau217 blood-based biomarker as a standalone test marked a significant advancement in the company's Alzheimer's testing portfolio, which also includes the ATN profile blood-based test. Further, the company's newest Weight Loss Management offering demonstrates its leadership in testing for cardiometabolic conditions and extensive experience in supporting individuals and physicians with weight management.