IDEXX Laboratories Inc., a prominent player in the animal health industry listed on NASDAQ under the ticker IDXX, reported its fourth-quarter earnings and shared its outlook for fiscal year 2026 on Monday. The company’s financial results for Q4 2025 demonstrated substantial gains, with earnings per share rising to $3.08, marking an 18% year-over-year increase and exceeding the market consensus estimate of $2.94. However, the company also provided a fiscal 2026 forecast that, while positive, coincided with a decline in its stock price during market hours.
Revenue for the quarter totaled $1.091 billion, surpassing the expected $1.073 billion and representing an increase of 14% in reported terms and 12% on an organic basis. This growth was predominantly driven by the Companion Animal Group (CAG) segment, which posted revenues of $998.5 million. Within this segment, recurring revenues from CAG Diagnostics grew by 12% year over year, with organic growth of 10%, outperforming sector benchmarks. Growth in the United States was supported by increased diagnostic testing frequency, likely influenced by an aging pet population.
Capital instrument revenues in the CAG Diagnostics segment experienced remarkable expansion, reaching $58.13 million on the quarter. This figure represented a 76% increase on a reported basis and a 69% increase organically, fueled by record instrument placements. Specifically, the company installed over 1,900 IDEXX inVue Dx instruments and nearly 1,400 Catalyst units, both contributing significantly to this growth.
The Water segment recorded quarterly revenues of $50.53 million, reflecting 12% reported growth and 10% organic growth. This increase was consistent across both domestic and international markets. Likewise, the Livestock Products and Diagnostics (LPD) segment grew revenues by 8% on a reported basis and by 4% organically to $37.48 million, with North and Latin American markets leading gains across key product categories.
From a profitability standpoint, gross profit rose by 15% reported and 13% comparable to $658.1 million. IDEXX achieved a gross margin of 60.3%, an improvement of 50 basis points reported and 60 basis points on a comparable basis. This expansion was supported by higher volume, enhanced productivity in reference laboratories, and effective price realization strategies, which helped mitigate inflation-related cost pressures. The company’s operating margin improved to 28.9% for the quarter, up 150 basis points reported and 120 basis points on a comparable basis compared to the prior year period.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2026, IDEXX Laboratories projects earnings per share in the range of $14.29 to $14.80, slightly ahead of consensus expectations of $14.39. The company anticipates annual sales between $4.632 billion and $4.720 billion, also exceeding the consensus forecast of $4.658 billion. This optimistic outlook is underpinned by an innovative product pipeline, growth in installed bases of instruments and software, and strong underlying momentum across its global operations. The Companion Animal Group Diagnostics recurring revenue growth is expected to range between 8.6% and 10.6% as reported and 8.0% to 10.0% on an organic basis.
Jay Mazelsky, President and CEO of IDEXX Laboratories, highlighted the company’s promising prospects in an official statement released on Monday. He emphasized the robust innovation agenda and the expanding installed bases as fundamental drivers for the company’s anticipated performance in 2026.
Despite these positive fundamentals and growth projections, IDEXX’s share price fell by approximately 5.57% to $633.10 at the time of reporting on Monday. This stock decline occurred amid a generally enthusiastic investor environment due to the company’s new product cycle but appears to reflect sensitivities regarding end-market visit weakness and broader concerns in the current market conditions.
Market analysts maintained a cautiously optimistic stance in response to the earnings release. William Blair noted that IDEXX shares have remained close to all-time highs, buoyed by investor confidence in the firm’s innovation capabilities. Ryan S. Daniels, an analyst, expressed confidence that the current innovation cycle equips IDEXX with necessary levers to meet financial targets despite ongoing challenges in the industry environment.
In summary, IDEXX Laboratories has delivered a strong quarterly performance that surpassed expectations on both earnings and sales, supported by growth across core business segments and strategic investments in diagnostics technology. Nonetheless, market response reflected a degree of caution as investors weighed the company’s prospects against prevailing economic uncertainties. The company’s forward guidance indicates sustained momentum and revenue growth, anchored by technological innovation and expanding customer bases in multiple regions.