Which has the lower trailing P/E, DGX or WAT?

DGX has the lower trailing P/E: DGX trades at 25.66 and WAT at 103.70. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, DGX or WAT?

Over the past five years, WAT grew revenue faster — DGX at a 0.89% CAGR versus WAT at 11.70%.

Does DGX or WAT pay a bigger dividend?

DGX pays a dividend (1.37% yield), while WAT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Is DGX or WAT more profitable?

DGX runs the higher net margin — DGX at 9.19% versus WAT at 3.58%.

How have DGX and WAT total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, DGX delivered 13.24% and WAT delivered 10.01% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) vs Waters Corporation (WAT)

A side-by-side comparison of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and Waters Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 20, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

DGX

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated

$26.68B

$241.76HealthcareAt close: Aug 19, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

WAT

Waters Corporation

$31.10B

$415.84HealthcareAt close: Aug 19, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

Total return — DGX vs WAT

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

DGX +246.0% (+13.2%/yr)WAT +162.8% (+10.1%/yr)DGX compounded faster over this window

DGX WAT

DGX vs WAT: by the numbers

•WAT is the larger company ($31.10B vs $26.68B market cap).
•DGX trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (25.66 vs 103.70 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•DGX converts more revenue to profit (9.19% vs 3.58% net margin).
•WAT grew revenue faster over the past five years (11.70% vs 0.89% CAGR).
•DGX pays a dividend (1.37% yield), while WAT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	DGX	WAT
P/E ratio	25.66	103.70
Forward P/E	21.60	28.54
P/S ratio	2.34	8.79
P/B ratio	3.60	2.69
EV / EBITDA	16.44	49.09
FCF yield	4.51%	0.97%

Profitability

Metric	DGX	WAT
Gross margin	33.15%	50.78%
Operating margin	14.14%	28.22%
Net margin	9.19%	3.58%
ROE	14.13%	1.09%
ROIC	8.25%	1.34%

Dividends

Metric	DGX	WAT
Dividend yield	1.37%	N/A
Payout ratio	37.43%	N/A

Growth (annualized)

Metric	DGX	WAT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	0.89%	11.70%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-3.65%	5.16%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-10.89%	-9.19%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	11.94%	0.54%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, DGX or WAT?: DGX has the lower trailing P/E: DGX trades at 25.66 and WAT at 103.70. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, DGX or WAT?: Over the past five years, WAT grew revenue faster — DGX at a 0.89% CAGR versus WAT at 11.70%.
Does DGX or WAT pay a bigger dividend?: DGX pays a dividend (1.37% yield), while WAT is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.
Is DGX or WAT more profitable?: DGX runs the higher net margin — DGX at 9.19% versus WAT at 3.58%.
How have DGX and WAT total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, DGX delivered 13.24% and WAT delivered 10.01% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full DGX analysis Full WAT analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Quest Diagnostics P/E ratio Waters P/E ratio Quest Diagnostics dividend yield Quest Diagnostics ROE Waters ROE Quest Diagnostics operating margin Waters operating margin Quest Diagnostics revenue growth Waters revenue growth Quest Diagnostics free cash flow Waters free cash flow

Quest Diagnostics & Waters appear in these rankings

Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 20, 2026.