CARIS LIFE SCIENCES, INC. vs QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC, two Medical Diagnostics stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
52.9 against 23.2: the multiples alone carry this comparison, molecular-profiling newcomer Caris priced at more than double lab-utility Quest per dollar of earnings. Quest's economics are the mature kind, a 13.8% operating margin, 5.6% free-cash yield, a dividend, and near-zero leverage; Caris earns 2.4% operating on its early revenue base with an IPO war chest (7.05 current ratio) funding the buildout. Returns on assets, 6.1% against 2.9%, favor the incumbent, as they always do at this stage. The premium multiple buys tumor-profiling growth the routine-testing giant cannot offer; the discount multiple buys cash that exists. The pair is diagnostics' present priced against its possible future.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | CAI | DGX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $18.52 | $209.79 |
| Market cap | $5.2B | $23.5B |
| Sector | Medical Diagnostics | Medical Diagnostics |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | -3.3% |
| P/E | 52.9 | 23.2 |
| P/B | 8.82 | 3.07 |
| P/S | 5.77 | 2.08 |
| EV/EBITDA | 37.2 | 10.8 |
| Revenue growth | +91.2% | +11.2% |
| Operating margin | 2.4% | 13.8% |
| Net margin | 3.8% | 9.1% |
| Return on equity | 5.7% | 13.4% |
| Return on assets | 2.9% | 6.1% |
| Return on invested capital | 8.8% | 15.6% |
| FCF yield | 2.4% | 5.6% |
| Dividend yield | — | 0.9% |
| Debt / equity | 0.64 | 0.07 |
| Current ratio | 7.05 | 1.18 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 4.14 | 7.64 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 8 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.