QuidelOrtho (NASDAQ:QDEL) Issues Earnings Results

QuidelOrtho (NASDAQ:QDEL) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.03, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $723.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $699.80 million. QuidelOrtho had a negative net margin of 41.46% and a positive return on equity of 5.52%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.63 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from QuidelOrtho’s conference call:

• QuidelOrtho says it met 2025 guidance with $2.73 billion in revenue and Q4 revenue of $724 million, driven by mid-single-digit Labs growth and an expanded adjusted EBITDA margin of 22% (up 240 bps year‑over‑year).
• The company has realized $140 million in cost savings, reduced operating expenses 5%, and plans to continue margin expansion toward the mid‑20% EBITDA range through procurement, footprint optimization, and mix improvements.
• GAAP results include a $701 million non‑cash goodwill impairment recorded in Q3, which management says resets valuations but weighed on reported earnings (it does not affect cash operations).
• Cash flow and leverage remain a focus: Q4 free cash flow was hit by ~$45 million of timing items (collected in January), recurring FCF was ~$100 million for 2025, 2026 FCF guidance is $120–160 million, and net debt/adjusted EBITDA was 4.2x (guidance to ~3.8x at end‑2026 toward a 2.5–3.5x target).
• R&D momentum includes FDA clearances for high‑sensitivity Troponin I (VITROS) and the DAT card, launch of Results Manager middleware, and planned 2026 platform rollouts (VITROS 450 OUS, partner immunoassay systems, and the Lex molecular platform pending FDA/CLIA clearance), which management expects will drive future assay pulls and tender competitiveness.

QuidelOrtho Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ QDEL traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $24.19. The stock had a trading volume of 886,602 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,121,208. The business’s fifty day moving average is $29.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.73. The company has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.44 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 0.98. QuidelOrtho has a twelve month low of $19.50 and a twelve month high of $42.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Brian J. Blaser bought 23,500 shares of QuidelOrtho stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $21.34 per share, for a total transaction of $501,490.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 29,533 shares in the company, valued at $630,234.22. The trade was a 389.52% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Joseph M. Busky acquired 4,770 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $26.06 per share, with a total value of $124,306.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 6,920 shares in the company, valued at $180,335.20. This trade represents a 221.86% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 29,390 shares of company stock worth $657,340. 0.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of QuidelOrtho

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in QuidelOrtho by 1,218.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 80,193 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,803,000 after buying an additional 74,112 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of QuidelOrtho by 10.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 228,398 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,987,000 after buying an additional 21,968 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in QuidelOrtho by 210.9% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 20,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $715,000 after acquiring an additional 13,876 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in shares of QuidelOrtho during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,313,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of QuidelOrtho by 250.7% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 2,309 shares in the last quarter. 99.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on QDEL shares. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of QuidelOrtho from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of QuidelOrtho from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group set a $30.00 target price on shares of QuidelOrtho in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of QuidelOrtho from $26.00 to $22.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of QuidelOrtho in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $31.50.

QuidelOrtho Company Profile

QuidelOrtho is a global diagnostics company formed through the merger of Quidel Corporation and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. The combined entity develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of rapid and high-throughput diagnostic solutions across immunoassay, molecular diagnostics and transfusion medicine. Its offerings span point-of-care platforms for acute care testing as well as large-scale automated systems designed for clinical laboratories and blood banks.

The company’s product range includes rapid antigen and antibody tests for infectious diseases, molecular assays utilizing nucleic acid amplification technology, and integrated immunodiagnostic analyzers.