Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs Guardant Health (GH)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Guardant Health (GH) has outperformed Quest Diagnostics (DGX) over the past year, gaining 165.3% versus a gain of 24.8%. Over five years, GH leads with a +65.7% price change compared with +59.3% for DGX. Quest Diagnostics is the larger company by market cap ($25.35 billion vs $22.09 billion), about 1.1 times the size, while Guardant Health is growing revenue faster (+32.9% vs +11.8%).
Quest Diagnostics pays a dividend yielding 1.45%, while Guardant Health does not currently pay one. Quest Diagnostics converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 9.0% versus -42.4%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | DGX | GH |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $229.67 | $164.64 |
| Market cap | $25.35B | $22.09B |
| 1-day change | +1.15% | -2.19% |
| YTD return | +30.85% | +64.80% |
| 1-year return | +24.83% | +165.34% |
| 5-year return | +59.34% | +65.68% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 24.38 | — |
| Forward P/E | 19.09 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $9.42 | $-3.50 |
| Dividend yield | 1.45% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $3.32 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $11.04B | $982.02M |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +11.78% | +32.88% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $992.00M | $-416.28M |
| Gross margin | 33.21% | 64.46% |
| Operating margin | 14.10% | -44.53% |
| Net margin | 8.99% | -42.39% |
| 52-week high | $248.84 | $191.05 |
| 52-week low | $171.18 | $61.00 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -7.71% | -13.82% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +8.01% | +21.38% |
| Average volume | 1.04M | 2.02M |
| Shares outstanding | 110.37M | 134.20M |
| Employees | 46,000 | 2,490 |
| Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| Industry | Medical Specialities | Medical Specialities |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- GH has outperformed DGX by 140.5 percentage points over the past year.
- Quest Diagnostics offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (1.45% vs 0.00%).
- Quest Diagnostics is more profitable, keeping 9.0 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus -42.4 cents for Guardant Health.
- Guardant Health grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+32.88% vs +11.78%).
About Quest Diagnostics
DGX stock →Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing and services in the United States. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.
Health Care · Medical Specialities · 46,000 employees
About Guardant Health
GH stock →Guardant Health, Inc., a precision oncology company, provides blood and tissue tests, and data sets in the United States and internationally. The company offers Guardant360 CDx test, a liquid biopsy test for tumor mutation profiling; Guardant360 Liquid test, which measures 740+ genes and supports all guideline-recommended biomarkers; Guardant Reveal test, a blood test that utilizes circulating tumor DNA to detect cancer at the molecular level; and Guardant360 Tissue test, a molecular profiling test for tumor tissue that provides genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic insights.
Health Care · Medical Specialities · 2,490 employees
DGX vs GH FAQ
Which is bigger, Quest Diagnostics or Guardant Health?
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) is larger, with a market capitalization of $25.35B compared with $22.09B for Guardant Health (GH).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, DGX or GH?
GH returned +165.34% over the past 12 months, compared with +24.83% for DGX (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, Quest Diagnostics or Guardant Health?
Quest Diagnostics pays a dividend yielding 1.45%, while Guardant Health does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Quest Diagnostics and Guardant Health in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Medical Specialities industry within the Health Care sector.