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Agilent Technologies vs Quest Diagnostics: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Quest Diagnostics carrying a narrow edge on stability. Agilent Technologies still leads on growth and profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-07-05

The comparison is mainly decided in stability, with the rest of the profile carrying less weight.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Diagnostics & Research

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. A and DGX share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Agilent Technologies and Quest Diagnostics each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
A
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
64
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
DGX
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
66
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in stability.

Dimension spread: A vs DGX Profitability 68 48 Stability 44 85 Valuation 66 72 Growth 75 65 A DGX
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +41
#2 Profitability +20
#3 Growth +10
#4 Valuation +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for A and DGX Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ADGX Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where A and DGX each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY A Neutral · near norm 0th 50th 100th 49 pct gap DGX Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 50th 99th
Today A sits in the upper-middle of its own 5-year history (50th percentile), while DGX sits higher in its own history (99th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, A is at a historically more favourable entry position than DGX. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
Both profiles are strong on stability, but Quest Diagnostics Incorporated leads clearly.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but Agilent Technologies, Inc. still leads clearly.
Stability — Dominant Gap
A
44
DGX
85
Gap+41in favour of DGX

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Profitability still favours Agilent Technologies, with a 9.5-point operating margin advantage keeping the comparison from looking fully resolved.

What this means for the comparison

The main read on stability is clearer than the broader score gap.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the A vs DGX comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how A and DGX each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.