QDEL
QuidelOrthoDDocument history
Earnings documents stored for QDEL.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-06-04QuidelOrtho (QDEL) Up 24.1% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
Zacks
QuidelOrtho (QDEL) Up 24.1% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
A month has gone by since the last earnings report for QuidelOrtho (QDEL). Shares have added about 24.1% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500. Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is QuidelOrtho due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. QuidelOrtho Corporation delivered adjusted loss per share of 4 cents in first-quarter 2026 against earnings per share of 74 cents in the prior-year quarter. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 110.8%. The adjustments include expenses related to the amortization of intangibles, acquisition and integration costs, among others. GAAP loss per share for the quarter was $1.35 compared with the year-earlier loss of 19 cents. QuidelOrtho registered revenues of $619.8 million in the first quarter of 2026, which decreased 10.5% year over year on a reported basis and 12.6% at constant exchange rate (CER). However, the figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.3%. In the first quarter, Respiratory revenues were $67.9 million (down 43.3% on a reported basis and 43.6% at CER), while Non-Respiratory revenues were $551.9 million (down 3.7% on a reported basis and 6.2% at CER). QuidelOrtho derives revenues from five business units — Labs, Immunohematology, Donor Screening, Point of Care and Molecular Diagnostics. As a result of the wind-down of the U.S. Donor Screening portfolio, the previously reported Transfusion Medicine business unit is now presented in its two product categories — Immunohematology and Donor Screening. In the first quarter, Labs revenues were $353.1 million, down 5.3% on a reported basis and 7.6% at CER. Immunohematology revenues were $138.3 million in the first quarter, up 7.6% and 3.4% on a reported basis and at CER, respectively. Donor Screening revenues were $7.8 million in the first quarter, down 39.1% and 39.5% on a reported basis and at CER, respectively. Point of Care revenues amounted to $112.8 million in the first quarter, reflecting a decline of 35%on a reported basis and 34.6% at CER. Molecular Diagnostics revenues totaled $7.8million in the first quarter, up 2.6% and down 1.8% on a reported basis and at CER, respectively. Geographically, QuidelOrtho derives revenues from N...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-165 Insightful Analyst Questions From QuidelOrtho’s Q1 Earnings Call
StockStory
5 Insightful Analyst Questions From QuidelOrtho’s Q1 Earnings Call
QuidelOrtho’s first quarter was marked by notable headwinds, as management pointed to a significantly milder and shorter respiratory illness season compared to the prior year and highlighted disruptions in China linked to anticipated changes in diagnostic pricing guidelines. CEO Brian J. Blaser noted, “Our first quarter results were impacted by a significantly softer respiratory season…with influenza-like illness visits down approximately 30%.” Management also cited broader macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures, including order delays in the Middle East, as contributors to the company’s weaker performance. Is now the time to buy QDEL? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $619.8 million vs analyst estimates of $668.7 million (10.5% year-on-year decline, 7.3% miss) Adjusted EPS: -$0.04 vs analyst estimates of $0.36 (significant miss) Adjusted EBITDA: $108.7 million vs analyst estimates of $148.4 million (17.5% margin, 26.7% miss) The company dropped its revenue guidance for the full year to $2.73 billion at the midpoint from $2.8 billion, a 2.7% decrease Management lowered its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $1.90 at the midpoint, a 14% decrease EBITDA guidance for the full year is $622.5 million at the midpoint, below analyst estimates of $640.1 million Operating Margin: -5.1%, down from 4.7% in the same quarter last year Constant Currency Revenue fell 12.6% year on year (-1.1% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $679.2 million While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Jack Meehan (Jefferies) asked for details on Q2 segment growth and margin outlook. CFO Joseph M. Busky said sequential revenue should remain flat, with year-over-year growth driven by core labs, immunohematology, and triage businesses. Meehan (Jefferies) also pressed for more detail on the China headwind and how much of the guidance reset is tied to market conditions there. Busky explained that guidance was lowered primarily due to weaker respiratory and China sales, with the China impact estimated at $30 million. Andrew Brackmann (William Blair) questioned how QuidelOrtho plans to achieve the implied...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-07QDEL Stock Down as Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Down Y/Y
Zacks
QDEL Stock Down as Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Down Y/Y
QuidelOrtho Corporation QDEL delivered adjusted loss per share of 4 cents in first-quarter 2026 against earnings per share (EPS) of 74 cents in the prior-year quarter. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 110.8%. The adjustments include expenses related to the amortization of intangibles, acquisition and integration costs, among others. GAAP loss per share for the quarter was $1.35 compared with the year-earlier loss of 19 cents. QuidelOrtho registered revenues of $619.8 million in the first quarter of 2026, which decreased 10.5% year over year on a reported basis and 12.6% at constant exchange rate (CER). However, the figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.3%. In the first quarter, Respiratory revenues were $67.9 million (down 43.3% on a reported basis and 43.6% at CER), while Non-Respiratory revenues were $551.9 million (down 3.7% on a reported basis and 6.2% at CER). Shares of the company lost around 6% in yesterday’s trading session. QuidelOrtho derives revenues from five business units — Labs, Immunohematology, Donor Screening, Point of Care and Molecular Diagnostics. As a result of the wind-down of the U.S. Donor Screening portfolio, the previously reported Transfusion Medicine business unit is now presented in its two product categories — Immunohematology and Donor Screening. In the first quarter, Labs revenues were $353.1 million, down 5.3% on a reported basis and 7.6% at CER. Immunohematologyrevenues were $138.3 million in the first quarter, up 7.6% and 3.4% on a reported basis and at CER, respectively. Donor Screening revenues were $7.8 million in the first quarter, down 39.1% and 39.5% on a reported basis and at CER, respectively. Point of Care revenues amounted to $112.8 million in the first quarter, reflecting a decline of 35%on a reported basis and 34.6% at CER. Molecular Diagnosticsrevenues totaled $7.8million in the first quarter, up 2.6% and down 1.8% on a reported basis and at CER, respectively. Geographically, QuidelOrtho derives revenues from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), China, Latin America and Japan and other Asia-Pacific markets (JPAC). Revenues from North Americaamounted to $328.9million, reflecting a decline of 19.1% on a reported basis and 18.9% at CER. EMEA revenues amounted to $92.5million, reflecting an increase of 4% on a reported basis and a decline of 6.1% at CER. Revenues...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-06QuidelOrtho Corporation Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
Moby
QuidelOrtho Corporation Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
First quarter performance was significantly impacted by a 30% decline in influenza-like illness (ILI) visits, characterized by a milder and shorter respiratory season compared to 2025. China revenue slowed in March as distributors preemptively reduced inventory purchases in anticipation of upcoming national IVD pricing guidelines. Geopolitical disruption in the Middle East caused delays in certain orders and tenders, though management expects these to resume as conditions stabilize. The acquisition of Lex Diagnostics adds an ultrafast molecular platform to the point-of-care portfolio, targeting customers seeking faster turnaround times and lower costs. Core lab and immunohematology franchises remain durable, with the U.S. launch of high-sensitivity troponin and the VITROS 450 rollout supporting mid-single-digit growth expectations. Management is executing a multi-year margin expansion plan involving the exit of donor screening, facility consolidation in Raritan, and targeted staffing reductions. Full-year 2026 revenue guidance was lowered to $2 billion to $2.75 billion, reflecting Q1 respiratory weakness and estimated impacts from China's draft pricing guidelines. Management assumes an average respiratory season for the second half of 2026, forecasting flat year-over-year performance to remain prudent despite historical rebound trends. The Lex Diagnostics platform is expected to begin placing instruments this quarter, with measurable assay revenue contribution projected to start in early 2027. Despite a negative free cash flow of $67 million in the first quarter, positive free cash flow of $100 million to $120 million is anticipated for the full year, driven by higher expected revenue and seasonal improvements in the second half. China pricing changes are not expected to be fully implemented until mid-2027, providing a window for the company to execute cost-mitigation actions. The termination of the joint business agreement with Grifols created a difficult year-over-year comparison for the labs business in Q1. Inventory levels increased during the quarter due to the weak respiratory season and stockpiling for upcoming product launches. Proposed China pricing changes are expected to impact approximately half of the company's sales in that region once fully implemented. Net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage stood at 4.1x at quarter-end, with a target to reduce...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-06QuidelOrtho (QDEL) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
Motley Fool
QuidelOrtho (QDEL) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
Image source: The Motley Fool. May 5, 2026, 5 p.m. ET President and Chief Executive Officer — Brian J. Blaser Chief Financial Officer — Joseph M. Busky Vice President, Investor Relations — Juliet C. Cunningham Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Juliet C. Cunningham: Afternoon, everyone, and thanks for joining us today. With me are Brian J. Blaser, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joseph M. Busky, Chief Financial Officer. This conference call is being simultaneously webcast on the Investor Relations page of our website. To assist in the presentation, we also posted supplemental information on our Investor Relations page that will be referenced in this call. This conference call and supplemental information may contain forward-looking statements which are made as of today, 05/05/2026. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law. Statements that are not strictly historical, including the company's expectations, plans, financial guidance, future performance, and prospects, are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks, uncertainty, assumptions, and other factors. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Please refer to our SEC filings for a description of potential risks. In addition, today's call includes discussion of certain non-GAAP financial measures. Tables reconciling these non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures are available in our earnings release and supplemental information on the Investor Relations page of our website. Lastly, unless stated otherwise, all year-over-year revenue growth rates given on today's call are on a constant currency basis. I will now turn the call over to our CEO, Brian J. Blaser. Brian J. Blaser: Thanks, Juliet, and good afternoon, everyone. I will start today with a brief perspective on the first quarter and then discuss details of our business performance more broadly. Our first quarter results were impacted by a significantly softer respiratory season compared to Q1 of last year, with influenza-like illness, or ILI, visits down approximately 30% as reported by the CDC in April. While ILI visits are one indicator, the season was also notably weaker across other key measures including severity of illness, hospitalizations, and duration. Ove...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-06QuidelOrtho Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
PR Newswire
QuidelOrtho Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
― LEX Diagnostics Acquisition Expected to Accelerate Growth in Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics ― ― Key Product Launches in U.S. and International Markets Expected to Drive Future Growth ― ― Company Updates Full-Year 2026 Financial Guidance ― SAN DIEGO, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- QuidelOrtho Corporation (Nasdaq: QDEL) (the "Company" or "QuidelOrtho"), a global leader of innovative in vitro diagnostics, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 29, 2026. Key First Quarter 2026 Results: (all comparisons are to the prior year period) Total revenue was $620 million, as reported Point of Care revenue of $113 million declined by 34% as reported and 35% in constant currency, primarily due to a significantly weaker respiratory season compared to the first quarter of 2025. Labs revenue of $353 million declined by 5% as reported and 8% in constant currency, primarily due to slower distributor sales in China that the Company believes is related to pending changes to the China National Health Security Administration ("NHSA") In Vitro Diagnostics ("IVD") pricing guidelines, business disruption related to the Middle East conflict, and a decrease in revenue related in part to the Company's termination of its joint business arrangement with Grifols. Immunohematology revenue of $138 million grew 8% as reported and 3% in constant currency, primarily driven by growth in North America, China and JPAC. GAAP net loss was $92 million; GAAP operating loss was $32 million; adjusted EBITDA was $109 million. GAAP diluted loss per share was $1.35; adjusted diluted loss per share was $0.04. "Our first quarter results were in line with our preliminary revenue announcement and reflected a significantly weaker respiratory season and business disruption in China and the Middle East," said Brian J. Blaser, President and Chief Executive Officer of QuidelOrtho. "Importantly, we believe the underlying business remains strong and we are well positioned to deliver on our objectives to expand our adjusted EBITDA margin and improve cash flow in 2026." "We completed our acquisition of LEX Diagnostics in April, adding an ultra-fast molecular diagnostics platform for point-of-care testing. We also advanced our key strategic priorities, including the U.S. launch of our High-Sensitivity Troponin assay and the rollout of the VITROS 450 platform in select international market...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-06QuidelOrtho Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
MarketBeat
QuidelOrtho Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
QuidelOrtho reported Q1 revenue of $620 million with respiratory sales plunging to $68 million, driven by a significantly milder respiratory season (ILI visits down ~30%), cautious Chinese distributors ahead of proposed IVD pricing guidelines, and some Middle East order delays, resulting in negative operating cash flow (-$33M) and free cash flow (-$67M). The company updated 2026 guidance to total revenue of $2.7–$2.75 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $615–$630 million (≈23% margin), adjusted EPS of $1.80–$2.00, and free cash flow of $100–$120 million, expecting a stronger second half and net-debt/EBITDA leverage to fall toward 3.25–3.5x by year-end. Strategic progress includes completing the LEX Diagnostics acquisition for an ultra-fast molecular point-of-care platform with instrument placements beginning this quarter and anticipated assay-driven revenue in early 2027, alongside new product rollouts such as a high-sensitivity troponin assay and the VITROS 450 platform. Interested in QuidelOrtho Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better. Lucira Stock Jumps over 250% on FDA Approval, Beware Chapter 11 QuidelOrtho (NASDAQ:QDEL) said its first-quarter 2026 results were pressured by a meaningfully weaker respiratory season, distributor caution in China ahead of expected national IVD pricing guidelines, and some order delays tied to Middle East disruptions, while management reiterated expectations for improved profitability and cash generation later in the year. President and CEO Brian Blaser said the quarter was affected by “a significantly softer respiratory season compared to Q1 of last year,” noting influenza-like illness (ILI) visits were down about 30% versus the prior-year period, according to April CDC reporting. He said the season was “notably weaker across other key measures, including severity of illness, hospitalizations, and duration,” calling it both “significantly milder and shorter than in Q1 2025.” → Roblox Stock Slides to New Low as Safety Changes Weigh on Outlook Blaser also highlighted macro and geopolitical headwinds. In China, he said sales slowed in March as distributors became cautious ahead of anticipated national IVD pricing guidelines, pausing inventory purchases due to potential future pricing declines. He noted the final guidelines had not been issued following the comment period, and the company’s updated guidance reflects an estima...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-06QuidelOrtho: Q1 Earnings Snapshot
Associated Press
QuidelOrtho: Q1 Earnings Snapshot
SAN DIEGO (AP) — SAN DIEGO (AP) — QuidelOrtho Corporation (QDEL) on Tuesday reported a loss of $91.8 million in its first quarter. The San Diego-based company said it had a loss of $1.35 per share. Losses, adjusted for amortization costs and non-recurring costs, came to 4 cents per share. The medical diagnostics company posted revenue of $619.8 million in the period. QuidelOrtho expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.80 to $2 per share, with revenue in the range of $2.7 billion to $2.75 billion. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on QDEL at https://www.zacks.com/ap/QDEL
TranscriptFY2026 Q12026-05-05FY2026 Q1 earnings call transcript
Earnings source - 48 paragraphs
FY2026 Q1 earnings call transcript
Welcome to the first quarter 2026 financial results conference call and webcast. At this time, all participant lines are in a listen-only mode. For those of you participating in the conference call, there will be an opportunity for your questions at the end of today's call and prepared remarks. If you would like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. To withdraw your question, press star one again. Please note this conference call is being recorded. An audio replay of the conference call will be available on the company's website shortly after this call. I would now like to turn the call over to Juliet Cunningham, Vice President of Investor Relations.
Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for joining us today. With me are Brian Blaser, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joe Busky, Chief Financial Officer. This conference call is being simultaneously webcast on the Investor Relations page of our website. To assist in the presentation, we also posted supplemental information on our investor relations page that will be referenced in this call. This conference call and supplemental information may contain forward-looking statements which are made as of today, May 5, 2026. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law. Statements that are not strictly historical, including the company's expectations, plans, financial guidance, future performance and prospects are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks, uncertainty, assumptions, and other factors. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements.
Please refer to our SEC filings for a description of potential risks. In addition, today's call includes discussion of certain non-GAAP financial measures. Tables reconciling these non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures are available in our earnings release and supplemental information on the Investor Relations page of our website. Lastly, unless stated otherwise, all year-over-year revenue growth rates given on today's call are on a constant currency basis. Now I'd like to turn the call over to our CEO, Brian Blaser.
Thanks, Juliet, good afternoon, everyone. I'll start today with a brief perspective on the first quarter and then discuss details of our business performance more broadly. Our first quarter results were impacted by a significantly softer respiratory season compared to Q1 of last year, with influenza-like illness or ILI visits down approximately 30% as reported by the CDC in April. While ILI visits are one indicator, the season was also notably weaker across other key measures, including severity of illness, hospitalizations, and duration. Overall, the respiratory season was both significantly milder and shorter than in Q1 2025. We also experienced broader macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds during the first quarter. In China, sales slowed in March ahead of the anticipated national IVD pricing guidelines as distributors exercised caution on inventory purchases in light of potential future pricing declines.
While final guidelines have not yet been issued following the comment period, our updated full-year 2026 guidance reflects the estimated impact based on the current draft. As is expected, this estimate may change once the final guidelines and implementation timeline are announced. Accordingly, we are preparing mitigation actions to help offset these headwinds. Moving into 2027, the proposed pricing changes would impact only about half our sales in China. Even with the new guidelines, that business certainly isn't going away and will continue to be a meaningful component of our revenues. Notably, even after these pricing changes are implemented, we believe our China business will continue to be accretive to the company margin profile. We don't think the changes will be fully implemented until the middle of next year, which gives us time to work on mitigating actions.
Shifting back to Q1 results, we also saw delays in some orders and tenders due to the ongoing disruption in the Middle East. Assuming conditions stabilize, we expect these orders and tenders to resume during the remainder of the year. Importantly, our underlying business remains strong and durable. Our core labs and immunohematology franchises are performing well, and we are executing against our priorities. As a result, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver on our objectives to expand our adjusted EBITDA margin and improve cash flow in 2026. We are also making solid progress in advancing our strategy.
We completed the acquisition of LEX Diagnostics in April, adding a highly differentiated, ultra-fast molecular platform that strengthens our position in point of care, an area we believe will be a meaningful driver of future growth and reinforces our ability to deliver integrated diagnostic solutions across the continuum of care. We are already seeing strong customer interest and have secured our first orders. Customer insights reinforce this opportunity. Approximately 90% of SOFIA customers currently use both antigen and molecular testing systems, and many have indicated a willingness to switch to our more competitive molecular platform. Their priorities are clear. Better ease of use, faster time to result, and lower costs. LEX is designed to deliver all three.
To support launch readiness, we are expanding manufacturing capacity at our site in the U.K. We expect to begin placing instruments this quarter with measurable assay pull-through and associated revenue beginning in early 2027. Turning to our labs business, we launched our high-sensitivity troponin assay in the U.S., strengthening our cardiac portfolio and enhancing our clinical value proposition. We are seeing strong demand. We are now shipping to more than 300 U.S. customers. We also began rolling out the VITROS 450 platform in select international markets, expanding access to our diagnostic solutions. As a successor to the VITROS 350, this platform is designed to meet the needs of emerging markets requiring low volume, cost-effective solutions. Initial shipments are targeted for JPAC, followed by LatAm and EMEA, where we recently received the CE mark.
Importantly, the combination of VITROS 450 and VITROS ECL enables us to deliver a comprehensive solution across clinical chemistry and immunoassays in attractive international markets. We expect these product launches to support our mid-single-digit revenue growth expectations for the labs business, which represents over half of our revenue. In summary, we are navigating near-term headwinds, but our strategy is sound, our innovation pipeline is strong, and we remain focused on executing with discipline to deliver sustainable, profitable growth. Now I'll turn the call over to Joe.
Okay. Thanks, Brian. I'll walk through the key financials for the first quarter of 2026. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are to the prior year period on a constant currency basis. Total reported revenue was $620 million. Of that, non-respiratory revenue was $552 million, or $544 million, excluding the Donor Screening business. Labs revenue declined 8% primarily to the factors Brian just discussed. In addition, the termination of our joint business agreement with Grifols reduced Q1 labs revenue and created a difficult year-over-year comp. Immunohematology grew 3% driven by North America, China, and JPAC. TRIAGE declined by $3 million, primarily due to slower distributor sales in China. Looking at our respiratory revenue, as was widely reported, the North America respiratory market showed an atypical decline versus the prior year period.
This was an industry-wide trend, not unique to QuidelOrtho, and is supported by KOLs and competitor reports. As a result, our respiratory revenue was $68 million, down significantly, as noted in our pre-announcement, due to the approximately 30% lower ILI visits compared to Q1 2025. Keep in mind, though, that our large global installed base of the SOFIA platform and QUICKVUE has demonstrated growth over time. Importantly, during the first quarter of 2026, we saw no change in testing protocols and our market share remained stable. Lastly, on revenue, foreign currency exchange was favorable by 210 basis points during the quarter. Now moving down the P&L, non-GAAP OpEx decreased by 2%, primarily due to R&D efficiencies. Adjusted gross profit margin was 44%, a decrease of 630 basis points due to product mix with lower respiratory revenue contribution.
Our adjusted EBITDA was $109 million, representing an 18% adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted diluted loss per share was $0.04. We expect to continue to drive adjusted EBITDA margin expansion for the full-year with targeted staffing reductions, procurement, and facility consolidation cost savings initiatives. Now turning to the balance sheet. At the end of March, we had cash of $140 million and borrowings of $130 million under our revolving credit facility. From a cash flow standpoint, operating cash flow was -$33 million, and free cash flow was -$67 million.
While we expected cash flow to be negative in the first half, which is consistent with our historical seasonality, first quarter 2026 cash flow declined year-over-year, primarily due to lower EBITDA related to the weaker respiratory season and the timing of accounts payable and accrued interest. Inventory also increased due to the weaker respiratory season as well as in preparation for multiple upcoming product launches. On the positive side, we delivered strong accounts receivable cash collections of $54 million and reduced our CapEx by $22 million compared to the prior year period, which was the result of lower systems and manufacturing capacity spend.
We remain focused on improving cash flow generation still expect positive cash flow for the full-year, now expected to be in the range of $100 million-$120 million, with positive cash flow driven by higher revenue in the second half of the year. Lastly, net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage was 4.1x, including pro forma adjustments allowable under our credit agreement. We continue to expect pro forma leverage under the terms of our credit agreement to be at 3.25x-3.5x by the end of this year. To wrap up, first quarter results reflected the impact of lower respiratory volumes, macro and geopolitical pressure, and continued investment in our strategic initiatives, including molecular diagnostics. Now I'd like to cover our full-year 2026 outlook at a high level.
For a full list of assumptions, please refer to page six of our first quarter 2026 earnings presentation. Importantly, we are providing a new guidance range. As noted in our Q1 pre-announcement, we are tethered to the low end of our previously provided range, which was purposely wide to account for respiratory season variability. We now expect total reported revenue of $2.7 billion-$2.75 billion, which is driven by two changes: our first quarter performance and the expected lower full-year revenue in China, which takes into consideration distributor reactions to the pending China National IVD pricing guidelines as currently drafted. In North America, first quarter respiratory revenue reflecting a weaker ILI trend.
Looking back over the past 10 years and excluding pandemic years, of course, in periods where ILI declined in Q1 versus the prior year, trends rebounded over the remainder of the year, resulting in higher ILI on a full-year basis. Despite this empirical data, to be prudent, we are continuing to plan for an average respiratory season and forecasting a flat second half without a bump up and an 8% decline in respiratory revenue for the full-year 2026. These two revenue impacts flow from the top line to the bottom line. Therefore, we now expect full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $615 million-$630 million, still representing an adjusted EBITDA margin of 23%, which reflects a 100 basis point improvement over full-year 2025.
We expect adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.80-$2.00, and we expect to deliver free cash flow of $100 million-$120 million. Note that the second quarter has historically been our seasonally lowest quarter. Consistent with this pattern, we expect sequential revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EPS to be roughly in line with Q1 2026, but still reflecting year-over-year growth across all three metrics. Our updated outlook reflects improving operating performance in the second half of the year, as well as continued disciplined execution and the ramping up of the LEX Diagnostics business. With that, we'll now open up the line for questions.
Your first question comes from Tycho Peterson of Jefferies. Your line is open. Please go ahead.
Yeah, hi, this is Jack on for Tycho. Thanks for the question. Could you just walk us through the guide for second quarter growth by segment and then also, you know, down to P&L, what margins are going to look like?
Yeah, as, hey Jack, as noted in the prepared remarks, we do expect that sequentially Q2 will be relatively flat with Q1, but will provide growth year-over-year. The growth is gonna come from the core business, as you think about the labs business and the IH business and the TRIAGE business, that growth versus prior year.
Okay, that's helpful. Now in China NHSA, can you tell us exactly how big of a headwind that is in 2026? What you're assuming in the guidance and just a little bit more detail on how you arrived at that number.
Yeah, sure. As you think about the updated, the updated revenue guide, which again, is tethered to the low end of the previous revenue guide, there's really only two changes that we made to the revenue guide. I wanna be really clear with that. One is the respiratory season weakness we saw in Q1. Then the impacts that we're seeing in China from our distributors pausing on their purchases due to the pending new national pricing guidelines, which we expect to come out in the next couple of months. I would say if you look at the new revenue guide, Jack, it's down roughly $75 million at the midpoint, and it's probably, you know, split almost 50/50 between the respiratory and the China.
Maybe a little bit less on China, a little bit more on respiratory. Maybe, you know, maybe 45, 30 respiratory and 30 China kind of thing. That's where we're seeing it. We have pretty good visibility, as you would imagine, from our local team and the good relationships we have with our customer base. We feel pretty good about this new guide for 2026.
Your next question comes from the line of Andrew Brackmann of William Blair. Your line is open. Please go ahead.
Hey guys, good afternoon. Thanks for taking the questions. I wanted to pick up off of Jack's first question there with respect to Q2. If you're sequentially sort of flattish to Q1, I think that implies a pretty significant ramp in adjusted EBITDA margin in Q3 and Q4. Can you maybe just talk to us about some of the levers that you see there, not just on the revenue side, but also on the cost side as well? Thanks.
Hey, Andrew. I do think that what we're looking at in the guide as you think about first half, second half, is that we are expecting the revenue growth to pick up quite a bit in the second half versus the first half. That's really a function of, you know, we expect that the China impacts that we've talked about in the prepared remarks generally are going to happen in the first half of the year and not so much in the second half of the year. In addition, as I said, you know, we are expecting continued growth with labs, IH, and TRIAGE, and we are planning for an average respiratory season in the second half of the year.
Not, again, we're not expecting growth in the second half for respiratory year-over-year, we are expecting it to be flat. I don't expect it to be a headwind. The, you know, all those, all those factors, including, you know, what Brian mentioned with the new products coming out, the VITROS 450, the high-sensitivity troponin, and you're gonna have some less revenue in the second half. You know, all those things contribute to the higher revenue in the second half versus the first half of the year, which will drop down and drive higher EBITDA, EPS, and cash flow.
Okay. Thanks. Thanks for all that. Brian, with respect to LEX here, it sounds like, you know, some folks in your customer base are pretty interested in this. Can you maybe just sort of remind us about the switching costs that might exist for this platform for customers? How big of that is a hurdle here? I guess, what are some of the things that you can do to maybe be a little bit more aggressive to get these share wins, be that on pricing strategies, bundling or anything like that? Thanks.
Yeah. Thanks, Andrew. We are excited about LEX and, you know, working actively, as I mentioned, to build additional capacity in our site in the U.K. to support the ramp up. You know, at this point, we're expecting to place a few hundred instruments this year, then, you know, followed by a more significant ramp up in 2027 that I think is really gonna begin to create meaningful assay pull-through. We're doing everything we can to bring on additional capacity as quickly as possible, because I think more than anything, we'll probably be capacity constrained versus demand constrained given what we're seeing with the product. Most of these instruments will be placed in customers, meaning there's no real capital outlay, you know, from a switching cost standpoint.
The ease of use profile, this is truly a plug-and-play instrument that requires, you know, sample in, answer out in six to 10 minutes. You know, your question about the switching costs really have very low barriers to, you know, customer objection to placing new instruments. We don't think that's gonna be an issue, and we think the value proposition across speed, turnaround time, and cost are really gonna position this platform well.
Great. Thanks for all the color.
Your next question comes from the line of Patrick Donnelly of Citi. Your line is open. Please go ahead.
Hey, guys. Thank you for taking the question. Maybe one on the China side. You know, I'm sure you guys saw this morning a competitor of sorts kind of walked away from their China diagnostics business and sold it, which was rewarded, you know, just given that it's been an overhang on a lot of the companies. I guess, what's your commitment there on the China side and visibility, you know, given some of these recent changes? It just feels like a slippery slope over there. How are you framing up that risk and the comfort level going forward on that business?
Yeah. Thanks, Patrick. You know, clearly the reimbursement changes are a headwind there, but, you know, the way we're looking at it, you know, the reimbursement changes themselves will only impact about half our sales there. You know, we have no plans to walk away from China. Even after these changes are implemented, we believe the business continues to be accretive to our company margin profile. In time to address this, we think that the changes won't be fully implemented until probably mid-next year. We're gonna be taking actions to offset that. You know, clearly, we will continue to monitor the environment in China, you know, after these changes are made.
As long as the economics continue to be favorable of, you know, we intend to remain in that market, I think over the very long term, it continues to be an attractive growth market for healthcare and diagnostic testing in particular.
Okay. That's helpful. Then, maybe just on the margin side, the EBITDA build, can you just talk about, you know, some of the actions you're taking on the cost side, you know, not only this year, but just the base heading forward? Obviously, you guys in the past have given some longer term targets. Just how you're thinking about the key levers there as we work our way through the year and into next year. Thank you, guys.
Yeah. You know, we continue to do a lot of heavy lifting on the margin side of the business. That's, you know, I think I've referenced that we've taken out, you know, close to 1,000 positions in the organization. A lot of that work pushed us into the low 20s adjusted EBITDA margin. We're going to start to see a 50 to 100 basis point improvement starting in the second half of 2026 from our Donor Screening exit. We've got a really a rich portfolio of projects across our indirect and direct procurement efforts. We've got the shutdown of our Raritan facility in progress, and we've got, you know, a lot of opportunity outside the U.S. to optimize our profitability in our OUS regions.
You know, I'd say additionally, we continue to benefit from this dynamic of placing more immunoassay volume that's at higher margin. You know, we see the benefit of that. I think, you know, what you're gonna see moving forward is the benefit of LEX and the molecular margins being, you know, typically much higher than immunoassay margins as well. You know, I think we get into that mid-20s range solidly with our procurement initiatives and the Raritan footprint optimization and, you know, maybe some targeted staff reductions. I think we push into the higher 20s as LEX becomes a bigger component of the business, you know, over the next few years.
Your next question comes from the line of Lu Li of UBS. Your line is open. Please go ahead.
Great. Thank you for taking my questions. Why don't you go back to China a little bit? I think you mentioned that, in the guide, you're assuming the China impact are basically happening in first half and not the second half. I'm wondering if you can provide a little bit more color on that, whether you're still seeing like distributors pausing sales maybe in April, May. Just a little bit more color in terms of like what they're saying as well. That's my first question.
Yeah, you know, it's still early days. You know, I think our distributors got a bit spooked with this, you know, change in the reimbursement coming. They got very conscious of their inventories. You know, we've been working with them on some rebates and discounts and other things to offset some of that pressure. I think over the next two months here, we're gonna see that that sort of behavior in the first quarter, you know, starts to mitigate and that will stabilize over time.
Got it. My second question, why don't you double confirm your margin target? Are you still hoping to get to like mid-to-high 20s by mid-2027, or that margin target maybe get a little bit delayed just given the potential changes in China and then maybe other macro factors?
Yeah. Hey, Lu, it's Joe. I think Brian touched on this a minute in his previous answer. Just to reiterate, you know, we are confident in our margin, EBITDA margin goals and the timeline for them. There's no change to that. That's because we still have, as Brian said, all these initiatives around procurement and site consolidation in flight that we expect to complete as we move through this year and into early next year. On China, you know, we do have some time. You know, we don't think that these potential reimbursement changes will be enacted until you get more into mid-2027. We've got about a year, really, to implement cost mitigation actions to offset any potential price declines that we may see in 2027. Because of all that, we still feel really good about the margin goals and the timing that we've communicated already in the past.
Thank you.
Sure.
If you would like to ask a question, please press star one to raise your hand. To withdraw your question, press star one again. We ask that you pick up your handset when asking a question to allow for optimum sound quality. If you are muted locally, please remember to unmute your device. There are no further questions at this time. I will now turn the call back to Brian Blaser, President and Chief Executive Officer, for closing remarks.
Thank you, operator. In closing and stepping back from the first quarter, you know, the headwinds that we saw in the respiratory season and China, this really doesn't change our direction. We are executing well, our strategy's working, and we are strengthening the business in the right areas. We do expect a stronger second half and remain focused on delivering consistent profitable growth. Thank you for your interest in the company, and we look forward to updating you in the quarters ahead.
This concludes today's call. Thank you for attending. You may now disconnect.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-05-04QuidelOrtho (QDEL) To Report Earnings Tomorrow: Here Is What To Expect
StockStory
QuidelOrtho (QDEL) To Report Earnings Tomorrow: Here Is What To Expect
Healthcare diagnostics company QuidelOrtho (NASDAQ:QDEL) will be reporting earnings this Tuesday after market hours. Here’s what you need to know. QuidelOrtho beat analysts’ revenue expectations last quarter, reporting revenues of $723.6 million, up 2.2% year on year. It was a mixed quarter for the company, with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates. Is QuidelOrtho a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it’s free for active Edge members. This quarter, the market is expecting QuidelOrtho’s revenue to decline 3.5% year on year, in line with the 2.6% decrease it recorded in the same quarter last year. The majority of analysts covering the company have reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. QuidelOrtho has a history of exceeding Wall Street’s expectations. Looking at QuidelOrtho’s peers in the healthcare equipment and supplies segment, some have already reported their Q1 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. GE HealthCare delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 7.4%, beating analysts’ expectations by 2.1%, and Intuitive Surgical reported revenues up 23%, topping estimates by 5.8%. GE HealthCare traded down 11.2% following the results while Intuitive Surgical was up 7.2%. Read our full analysis of GE HealthCare’s results here and Intuitive Surgical’s results here. There has been positive sentiment among investors in the healthcare equipment and supplies segment, with share prices up 6% on average over the last month. QuidelOrtho is down 21.7% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $27 (compared to the current share price of $12.43). ONE MORE THING: 3 Hidden Platforms Growing 3X Faster than Amazon, Google, and PayPal. Amazon, Google, and Meta all followed the same playbook: Dominate an ignored market. Build an unbeatable moat. Scale until you’re unstoppable. These three platforms are running that exact playbook right now. The early investors in Amazon made fortunes. The early investors in these could do the same. Get All 3 Stocks Here for FREE.
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-04-28Earnings Preview: QuidelOrtho (QDEL) Q1 Earnings Expected to Decline
Zacks
Earnings Preview: QuidelOrtho (QDEL) Q1 Earnings Expected to Decline
Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when QuidelOrtho (QDEL) reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 5, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. This medical diagnostics company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.24 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -67.6%. Revenues are expected to be $618.07 million, down 10.8% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 58.33% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's p...
Investor releaseQuarter not tagged2026-04-16QuidelOrtho Announces Preliminary Revenue for the First Quarter 2026 and Provides Update on Full-Year 2026 Guidance
PR Newswire
QuidelOrtho Announces Preliminary Revenue for the First Quarter 2026 and Provides Update on Full-Year 2026 Guidance
SAN DIEGO, April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- QuidelOrtho Corporation (Nasdaq: QDEL) (the "Company" or "QuidelOrtho"), a global leader of in vitro diagnostics, today announced preliminary unaudited revenue for the first quarter of 2026, ended March 29, 2026, and provided an update on its full-year 2026 financial guidance. The Company also announced its plan to release its full first quarter 2026 financial results on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, after the market closes. Preliminary Unaudited First Quarter 2026 Revenue The Company currently expects preliminary unaudited revenue, as reported, of $615-$620 million for the first quarter of 2026. This preliminary unaudited revenue was primarily driven by a weaker respiratory season, with U.S. Influenza-like Illness visits down by approximately 30% compared to the first quarter of 20251, along with slower China distributor sales that the Company believes is related to the proposed China National Health Security Administration ("NHSA") reimbursement rate reductions. Additionally, certain EMEA orders were delayed by the Middle East conflict, negatively impacting first quarter revenue. "Despite macroeconomic challenges and a softer first quarter respiratory season, QuidelOrtho is taking decisive cost actions to drive full-year 2026 performance," said Brian J. Blaser, President and Chief Executive Officer, QuidelOrtho. "Our core business―representing more than 70% of total revenue―remains strong, providing a solid foundation amid near-term volatility. We remain focused on operational execution, margin expansion, cash flow improvement, and advancing our innovation pipeline to support durable long-term growth." The preliminary unaudited revenue described herein is based on management's preliminary analysis for the first quarter of 2026 and is subject to adjustments based on the Company's completion of its quarter-end financial close process. As discussed in the Company's fourth quarter and full-year 2025 conference call in February 2026, the Company expects free cash flow to be negative for the first half of 2026. The Company currently expects free cash flow to be in the range of $(65) to $(70) million in the first quarter of 2026. The Company continues to expect free cash flow to be positive for the full-year 2026. Full-year 2026 Financial Guidance Based on current information, the Company believes the low end of its full-year 202...

