DGX vs. LH

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

DGX (Quest Diagnostics Incorporated) and LH (Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings) are both stocks. Both operate in the Diagnostics & Research industry within the Healthcare sector. Over the past 10 years, DGX returned 11.79%/yr vs 9.37%/yr for LH. A 0.55 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

DGX vs. LH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DGX achieves a 12.31% return, which is significantly higher than LH's 3.26% return. Over the past 10 years, DGX has outperformed LH with an annualized return of 11.79%, while LH has yielded a comparatively lower 9.37% annualized return.

DGX

• 1D: 0.50%
• 1M: 0.25%
• YTD: 12.31%
• 6M: 6.76%
• 1Y: 12.75%
• 3Y*: 14.80%
• 5Y*: 10.70%
• 10Y*: 11.79%

LH

• 1D: 0.32%
• 1M: 1.00%
• YTD: 3.26%
• 6M: -2.58%
• 1Y: 5.07%
• 3Y*: 12.75%
• 5Y*: 3.55%
• 10Y*: 9.37%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DGX vs. LH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DGX Quest Diagnostics Incorporated	12.31%	17.20%	11.77%	-10.05%	-7.80%	47.86%	14.11%	31.13%	-13.84%	9.16%
LH Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	3.26%	10.62%	2.22%	13.82%	-24.41%	54.37%	20.32%	33.88%	-20.78%	24.25%

Correlation

The correlation between DGX and LH is 0.76, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.76
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.68
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.71
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 27, 1996	0.55

Over the past year, DGX and LH have become more correlated (0.76) than their long-term average of 0.55, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap DGX : $21.63B LH : $21.36B
EPS DGX : $9.10 LH : $11.28
PE Ratio DGX : 21.22 LH : 22.85
PS Ratio DGX : 1.93 LH : 1.52
PB Ratio DGX : 2.94 LH : 2.45
Total Revenue (TTM) DGX : $11.28B LH : $14.14B
Gross Profit (TTM) DGX : $3.75B LH : $4.01B
EBITDA (TTM) DGX : $1.98B LH : $1.90B

Return for Risk

DGX vs. LH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DGX

DGX Risk / Return Rank: 58
DGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
DGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
DGX Omega Ratio Rank: 51
DGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
DGX Martin Ratio Rank: 62

LH

LH Risk / Return Rank: 44
LH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
LH Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
LH Omega Ratio Rank: 40
LH Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
LH Martin Ratio Rank: 47

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DGX vs. LH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DGX	LH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.57	0.22	+0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.03	0.47	+0.55
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.06	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.16	0.30	+0.86
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.46	0.63	+1.83
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DGX vs. LH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DGX Sharpe Ratio is 0.57, which is higher than the LH Sharpe Ratio of 0.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DGX and LH, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DGX	LH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.57	0.22	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49	0.15	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	0.35	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.53	0.18	+0.35

Drawdowns

DGX vs. LH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DGX drawdown since its inception was -49.46%, smaller than the maximum LH drawdown of -96.15%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DGX and LH.

Drawdown Indicators

	DGX	LH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.46%	-96.15%	+46.69%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.55%	-15.22%	+3.67%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.57%	-17.36%	+0.79%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.62%	-34.61%	+5.99%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.60%	-46.58%	+9.98%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.45%	-10.72%	+2.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.90%	-29.62%	+17.72%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.47%	7.34%	-1.87%

Volatility

DGX vs. LH - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) is 4.85%, while Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LH) has a volatility of 5.23%. This indicates that DGX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than LH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DGX	LH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.85%	5.23%	-0.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.68%	15.50%	+1.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.57%	22.73%	-0.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.73%	23.33%	-1.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.77%	26.63%	-2.86%

Dividends

DGX vs. LH - Dividend Comparison

DGX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.69%, more than LH's 1.12% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DGX Quest Diagnostics Incorporated	1.69%	1.82%	1.96%	2.02%	1.66%	1.40%	1.85%	1.99%	2.34%	1.83%	1.72%	2.07%
LH Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	1.12%	1.15%	1.26%	1.18%	0.92%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

DGX vs. LH - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

DGX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated reported a gross profit of 942.00M and revenue of 2.90B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 32.5%.

LH - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings reported a gross profit of 1.01B and revenue of 3.54B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 28.7%.

DGX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated reported an operating income of 399.00M and revenue of 2.90B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.8%.

LH - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings reported an operating income of 380.80M and revenue of 3.54B, resulting in an operating margin of 10.8%.

DGX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated reported a net income of 252.00M and revenue of 2.90B, resulting in a net margin of 8.7%.

LH - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings reported a net income of 277.80M and revenue of 3.54B, resulting in a net margin of 7.9%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both DGX and LH in my portfolio?

DGX and LH have a correlation of 0.76, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, DGX or LH?

LH has higher volatility (5.23%) compared to DGX (4.85%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DGX dropped -49.46% vs LH's -96.15%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DGX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.57 vs 0.22), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.