DGX vs. SHC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at DGX and SHC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | DGX | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | Sotera Health Company |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Providers & Services | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 21.12 billion USD | 4.46 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | December 17, 1996 | November 20, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of DGX and SHC by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.43% | -0.64% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 3.99% | -0.64% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 7.14% | 18.13% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 16.44% | 2.09% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 6.25% | -5.78% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 23.92% | 14.33% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.11M | 4.59M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.04M | 1.98M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 20.97% | 25.88% |
| Beta | 0.62 | 1.84 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
DGX
13.75%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 24.67%
- Q3
- 15.54%
- Median
- 8.37%
- Q1
- 5.49%
- Min
- -2.09%
DGX’s Return on Equity of 13.75% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
SHC
11.79%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 23.81%
- Q3
- 11.79%
- Median
- 7.51%
- Q1
- 3.14%
- Min
- -6.95%
SHC’s Return on Equity of 11.79% is on par with the norm for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
DGX
8.93%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 9.33%
- Q3
- 4.80%
- Median
- 2.90%
- Q1
- 0.93%
- Min
- -3.28%
A Net Profit Margin of 8.93% places DGX in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
SHC
4.82%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 33.77%
- Q3
- 17.97%
- Median
- 8.97%
- Q1
- 3.80%
- Min
- -11.89%
SHC’s Net Profit Margin of 4.82% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
DGX
14.11%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 18.35%
- Q3
- 8.71%
- Median
- 5.10%
- Q1
- 2.10%
- Min
- -3.07%
An Operating Profit Margin of 14.11% places DGX in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
SHC
24.14%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 31.55%
- Q3
- 21.26%
- Median
- 14.06%
- Q1
- 8.54%
- Min
- 0.11%
An Operating Profit Margin of 24.14% places SHC in the upper quartile for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.75% | 11.79% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 6.05% | 1.76% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 8.93% | 4.82% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.11% | 24.14% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.47% | 55.98% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
1.13
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.00
- Q3
- 1.56
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.01
DGX’s Current Ratio of 1.13 aligns with the median group of the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
SHC
2.38
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 4.76
- Q3
- 2.87
- Median
- 1.75
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.57
SHC’s Current Ratio of 2.38 aligns with the median group of the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
0.78
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.41
- Q3
- 1.39
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.46
- Min
- 0.00
DGX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.78 is typical for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
SHC
4.07
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 0.95
- Q3
- 0.70
- Median
- 0.45
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 4.07, SHC operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
DGX
7.42
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 7.46
- Median
- 4.52
- Q1
- 2.04
- Min
- -4.44
DGX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.42 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
SHC
1.69
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 45.00
- Q3
- 27.84
- Median
- 7.16
- Q1
- 2.12
- Min
- -14.08
In the lower quartile for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, SHC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 1.69 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.13 | 2.38 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.88 | 2.09 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.78 | 4.07 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.42 | 1.69 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
DGX
1.65%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 5.51%
- Q3
- 2.66%
- Median
- 1.06%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DGX’s Dividend Yield of 1.65% is consistent with its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
SHC
0.00%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 1.02%
- Q3
- 0.67%
- Median
- 0.32%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SHC currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
DGX
35.81%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 187.56%
- Q3
- 81.14%
- Median
- 33.42%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DGX’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 35.81% is within the typical range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
SHC
0.00%
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 97.67%
- Q3
- 61.34%
- Median
- 18.53%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SHC has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.65% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 35.81% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
DGX
21.68
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 48.86
- Q3
- 32.22
- Median
- 21.78
- Q1
- 13.97
- Min
- 8.01
DGX’s P/E Ratio of 21.68 is within the middle range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
SHC
78.22
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 78.22
- Q3
- 57.42
- Median
- 34.18
- Q1
- 28.39
- Min
- 1.55
A P/E Ratio of 78.22 places SHC in the upper quartile for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
DGX
1.94
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 3.66
- Q3
- 1.64
- Median
- 0.72
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.10
DGX’s P/S Ratio of 1.94 is in the upper echelon for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
SHC
3.77
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 10.69
- Q3
- 6.37
- Median
- 4.95
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 1.04
SHC’s P/S Ratio of 3.77 aligns with the market consensus for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
2.94
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.33
- Q3
- 4.33
- Median
- 2.48
- Q1
- 1.31
- Min
- 0.65
DGX’s P/B Ratio of 2.94 is within the conventional range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
SHC
8.12
Life Sciences Tools & Services Industry
- Max
- 8.12
- Q3
- 5.04
- Median
- 3.94
- Q1
- 2.12
- Min
- 1.13
SHC’s P/B Ratio of 8.12 is in the upper tier for the Life Sciences Tools & Services industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 21.68 | 78.22 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 1.94 | 3.77 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 2.94 | 8.12 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 15.08 | 44.80 |