QuidelOrtho (NASDAQ:QDEL) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.41 EPS

QuidelOrtho (NASDAQ:QDEL) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.41), Zacks reports. QuidelOrtho had a negative net margin of 41.46% and a positive return on equity of 5.91%. QuidelOrtho updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.800-2.000 EPS.

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

• The Q1 respiratory season was significantly milder and shorter than in 2025, with CDC-reported ILI visits down ~30%, which materially depressed respiratory revenue versus last year.
• Distributors in China paused purchases ahead of draft national IVD pricing guidelines, prompting a downward revision to 2026 guidance and contributing to the revenue shortfall management estimates (part of an approximately $75M midpoint impact).
• Completed the acquisition of LEX Diagnostics, adding an ultra-fast molecular point-of-care platform; initial instrument placements are expected this quarter with measurable assay pull-through and revenue beginning in early 2027.
• Updated full-year 2026 guidance calls for $2.7B–$2.75B revenue, adjusted EBITDA of $615M–$630M (about 23% margin), adjusted EPS $1.80–$2.00, and free cash flow of $100M–$120M, with management reiterating plans for margin expansion.
• Q1 operating cash flow was negative $33M and free cash flow negative $67M with inventory up and net debt/adjusted EBITDA at 4.1x, but the company expects to hit ~3.25–3.5x leverage by year-end through procurement, staffing, and facility consolidation actions.

QuidelOrtho Stock Performance

QuidelOrtho stock traded down $0.76 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $11.66. The company had a trading volume of 3,184,109 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,769,998. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $16.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.93. QuidelOrtho has a 52 week low of $10.86 and a 52 week high of $38.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $794.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.70 and a beta of 0.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Brian J. Blaser purchased 10,540 shares of QuidelOrtho stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $23.59 per share, for a total transaction of $248,638.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,073 shares in the company, valued at $945,322.07. This represents a 35.69% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Joseph M. Busky acquired 3,370 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $23.66 per share, for a total transaction of $79,734.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 10,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $243,461.40. This represents a 48.70% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased a total of 23,910 shares of company stock worth $567,973 over the last quarter. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of QuidelOrtho by 3,691.7% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 910 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 886 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in QuidelOrtho by 322.2% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,330 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,015 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in 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. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake in QuidelOrtho by 298.1% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 2,471 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its stake in QuidelOrtho by 230.5% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 4,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,000 after acquiring an additional 3,155 shares during the last quarter. 99.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group dropped their price objective on QuidelOrtho from $30.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup increased their price objective on QuidelOrtho from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Wall Street Zen cut QuidelOrtho from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of QuidelOrtho in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of QuidelOrtho from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, QuidelOrtho currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $28.25.

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.