Home Compare DGX vs MCK
Stock Comparison · Comparison

Quest Diagnostics vs McKesson: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

McKesson leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. The market setup is currently leaning toward Quest Diagnostics, which does not confirm the structural lead. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with McKesson, but the market is not currently confirming it.

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 2026-05-17

Profitability still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison. McKesson Corporation leads by 10 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.75
Similar
Peer-set rank: #8
within Quest Diagnostics Incorporated's functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in margin consistency and recent revenue growth.

Similarity drivers
margin consistencyrecent revenue growth
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
DGX
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
68
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
MCK
McKesson Corporation
78
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: DGX vs MCK Profitability 48 78 Stability 81 84 Valuation 77 79 Growth 73 71 DGX MCK
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +30
#2 Stability +3
#3 Growth +2
#4 Valuation +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DGX and MCK Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DGXMCK 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 DGX and MCK each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DGX Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 5 pct gap MCK Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 93rd 88th
DGX (93rd percentile) and MCK (88th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Both profiles are strong on profitability, but McKesson Corporation leads clearly.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
DGX
48
MCK
78
Gap+30in favour of MCK

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 131-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The score lead is real, although the profile still looks more expectation-driven than a fully settled winner.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how DGX and MCK 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.