Quest Diagnostics Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results, Reflecting Continued Demand for COVID-19 Testing and Rapid Recovery in Health Care Utilization

• Third quarter revenues of $2.79 billion, up 42.5% from 2019
• Third quarter reported diluted earnings per share from continuing operations ("EPS") of $4.14, up 164.6% from 2019; and adjusted diluted EPS of $4.31, up 144.9% from 2019
• Third quarter cash provided by operations of $862 million, up 189.0% from 2019
• Will return $138 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") funding
• Raises outlook for full year 2020

SECAUCUS, N.J., Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, announced today financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.

"Quest had a very strong third quarter, benefiting from continued demand for COVID-19 testing and the rapid recovery of health care utilization," said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, CEO and President, Quest Diagnostics. "Quest has performed over 22 million COVID-19 molecular and serology tests to date, more than any other provider. We also developed and introduced several new innovations that are contributing to enabling the country's return to work, the classroom, and the athletic field. I am extremely proud of all that Quest Diagnostics has accomplished throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and would like to thank our more than 47,000 employees for their hard work and dedication.

"We've seen further signs of the health care system returning to pre-pandemic levels, as our base testing volume, which excludes COVID-19 molecular and antibody testing, continued to recover throughout the third quarter. As we exited September, organic volumes in our base business were down mid-to-high single digits compared to last year. We are raising our full year 2020 outlook given our year to date performance and a clearer line of sight for both the base business and COVID-19 testing."

Mr. Rusckowski continued: "We are grateful for the CARES Act funding that provided our company with support earlier this year at a time of great uncertainty for our nation. Several months into this pandemic, we do not require this funding. As a result, we believe returning these funds to the government now is the right thing to do."

Updated Outlook for Full Year 2020

The company updates its Full Year 2020 outlook as follows:

Note on Non-GAAP Financial Measures

As used in this press release the term "reported" refers to measures under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). The term "adjusted" refers to non-GAAP operating performance measures that exclude special items such as restructuring and integration charges, certain financial impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, amortization expense, excess tax benefits ("ETB") associated with stock-based compensation, a gain on remeasurement of an equity interest, costs associated with the company's recently announced initiative with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation to reduce health disparities in underserved communities, and other items.

Non-GAAP adjusted measures are presented because management believes those measures are useful adjuncts to GAAP results. Non-GAAP adjusted measures should not be considered as an alternative to the corresponding measures determined under GAAP. Management may use these non-GAAP measures to evaluate our performance period over period and relative to competitors, to analyze the underlying trends in our business, to establish operational budgets and forecasts and for incentive compensation purposes. We believe that these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors and analysts to evaluate our performance period over period and relative to competitors, as well as to analyze the underlying trends in our business and to assess our performance. The additional tables attached below include reconciliations of non-GAAP adjusted measures to GAAP measures.

Conference Call Information

Quest Diagnostics will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss financial results beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 888-455-0391 within the U.S. and Canada, or 773-756-0467 internationally, passcode: 7895081; or via live webcast on the company's website at www.QuestDiagnostics.com/investor. The company suggests participants dial in approximately 10 minutes before the call.

A replay of the call may be accessed online at www.QuestDiagnostics.com/investor or by phone at 800-337-6568 for domestic callers or 402-220-9660 for international callers. No passcode is required. Telephone replays will be available from approximately 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on October 22, 2020 until midnight Eastern Time on November 5, 2020. Anyone listening to the call is encouraged to read the company's periodic reports, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion of risk factors and historical results of operations and financial condition in those reports.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 47,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

Forward Looking Statements

The statements in this press release which are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they are made and which reflect management's current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs and which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to be materially different. Risks and uncertainties that may affect the future results of the company include, but are not limited to, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response, adverse results from pending or future government investigations, lawsuits or private actions, the competitive environment, the complexity of billing, reimbursement and revenue recognition for clinical laboratory testing, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers or strategic partners and other factors discussed in the company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and in any of the company's subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including those discussed in the "Business," "Risk Factors," "Cautionary Factors that May Affect Future Results" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of those reports.

This earnings release, including the attached financial tables, is available online in the Newsroom section at www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

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SOURCE Quest Diagnostics

Company Codes: NYSE:DGX