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Danaher Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 21 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 3 lowered, 7 new, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net earnings and diluted EPS rose: Net earnings were $870 million against $555 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $1.23 against $0.77. Source
  • Core revenue grew 3.0%: Revenue rose 5.5% to $6.3 billion. Core revenue grew 3.0%, or 4.5% excluding respiratory testing revenue. Source
  • Quarter core growth by segment: Core sales growth in the quarter was 2.5% in Biotechnology, 5.5% in Life Sciences and 2.0% in Diagnostics. Source
  • Respiratory testing sales fell: Respiratory testing sales were about $250 million in the second quarter, against about $300 million a year earlier, per the reconciliation table. Source
  • Bioprocessing orders grew mid-teens: Management attributed lower bioprocessing revenue to customer project timing, while bioprocessing orders grew mid-teens in the quarter. Source
  • Operating cash flow and FCF rose: Operating cash flow was $1,534 million and free cash flow $1,265 million, against $1,338 million and $1,094 million a year earlier. Source
  • StatLab expected to be accretive: StatLab generated about $250 million of revenue in 2025. Management expects it to be accretive to adjusted diluted EPS in its first full year of ownership. Source
  • Masimo deal items added $0.15 per share: The Masimo-related items were $108 million pretax and $95 million after tax, or $0.15 per diluted share in the quarter. Source

“We delivered a better than expected second quarter, with core growth improving versus the first quarter and disciplined execution driving high-single-digits adjusted EPS growth.”

Rainer M. Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Core revenue growth Sourcethird quarter 20262.0% to 3.0%New
Core revenue growth Sourcefull year 20263.0% to 4.0%Lowered from 3% to 6%
Adjusted diluted net EPS Sourcefull year 2026$8.45 to $8.60Raised from $8.35 to $8.55
Core revenue exit rate Sourceexit 2026mid-single-digit core revenue growth rateNew
Adjusted operating profit margin Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026~26.5%Kept
Life Sciences core sales growth Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026+3.0% to +4.0%
Diagnostics core sales growth Sourcethird quarter 2026FlatNew
Impact of respiratory testing on core growth Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026+2.5% (third quarter); low-single digit (full year)New
Core sales growth excluding respiratory testing Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026~+5.0% (third quarter); mid-single digit (full year)New
Respiratory testing sales Sourcefull year 2026~$1,600 millionLowered from ~$1.6 billion to $1.7 billion (Cepheid respiratory revenue)
Currency impact on sales Sourcethird quarter 2026~(1.0)%New
Currency impact on sales Sourcefull year 2026~+0.5%Kept
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles Sourcethird quarter 2026~$(500) millionNew
Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles Sourcefull year 2026~$(1,900) millionRaised from $1.7 billion
Corporate expense Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026~$(90) million (third quarter); ~$(360) million (full year)Kept
Interest expense, net Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026~$(115) million (third quarter); ~$(310) million (full year)Raised from ~$(140) million (full year)
Effective tax rate Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026~17.0%Kept
Average adjusted diluted shares Sourcethird quarter and full year 2026~707 million (third quarter); ~709 million (full year)Lowered from ~714 million (full year)

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance was raised to $8.45 to $8.60 from $8.35 to $8.55. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year core revenue growth guidance was narrowed to 3.0% to 4.0% from 3% to 6%, and full-year Diagnostics growth was changed to up slightly. Source
  • New guidance: Third-quarter core revenue growth guidance of 2.0% to 3.0% was given, replacing the second-quarter low-single-digit guidance. Source
  • New: The Masimo acquisition was completed earlier than anticipated, which management linked to the raised full-year EPS guidance. Source
  • New: Leica Biosystems announced its intention to acquire StatLab, a histology products manufacturer. Source
  • New: From the second-quarter 10-Q, the company discloses a new non-GAAP measure, core sales growth excluding respiratory testing. Source
  • New: From the third-quarter 10-Q, core sales will exclude the effect of tariff refunds returned or expected to be returned to customers. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net earnings and diluted EPS rose: Net earnings were $870 million against $555 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $1.23 against $0.77. Source
  • Core revenue grew 3.0%: Revenue rose 5.5% to $6.3 billion. Core revenue grew 3.0%, or 4.5% excluding respiratory testing revenue. Source
  • Operating profit rose year over year: Operating profit was $1,127 million against $760 million a year earlier. Six-month operating profit was $2,471 million against $2,034 million. Source
  • Adjusted EPS growth compared with Q1: Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.94, up 8.0%. The first quarter's adjusted EPS growth rate was 9.5%, to $2.06.

Segments and regions

  • Quarter core growth by segment: Core sales growth in the quarter was 2.5% in Biotechnology, 5.5% in Life Sciences and 2.0% in Diagnostics. Source
  • Life Sciences had no FX or deal effect: Life Sciences showed no acquisition or currency effect in the quarter, so its total sales growth of 5.5% matched core growth. Source
  • Diagnostics excluding respiratory testing: Excluding respiratory testing, Diagnostics core growth was 5.0%, against 2.0% reported. Total company was 4.5%. Source
  • Six-month core growth by segment: Six-month core growth was 2.0% for the company, 4.5% in Biotechnology and 3.0% in Life Sciences. Diagnostics was down 1.0%. Source

“Our Life Sciences businesses delivered their strongest quarter in several years and while customer project timing impacted bioprocessing revenue, underlying order trends remained strong and bioprocessing orders grew mid-teens in the quarter.”

Rainer M. Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer

Products and customers

  • Respiratory testing sales fell: Respiratory testing sales were about $250 million in the second quarter, against about $300 million a year earlier, per the reconciliation table. Source
  • Masimo adds acute-care monitoring products: In April, Masimo was described as a provider of pulse oximetry and patient monitoring solutions for acute care settings.
  • StatLab adds histology workflow products: StatLab's products cover the histology workflow from specimen collection through slide staining. The business has more than 85% recurring revenue. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Selling and admin costs fell: SG&A expenses were $2,072 million against $2,360 million a year earlier, and $3,932 million against $4,218 million for the six months. Source
  • Cost of sales rose year over year: Cost of sales was $2,654 million against $2,413 million. Gross profit was $3,611 million against $3,523 million. Source
  • Income tax expense more than doubled: Income taxes were $208 million against $100 million a year earlier. The six-month figure was $414 million against $275 million. Source
  • Interest income and expense both rose: Interest income was $61 million against $8 million. Interest expense was $107 million against $71 million. Source

“Looking ahead, continued end-market recovery and traction from our recent growth initiatives support our expectation to exit 2026 at a mid-single-digit core revenue growth rate.”

Rainer M. Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer

Demand and the order book

  • Bioprocessing orders grew mid-teens: Management attributed lower bioprocessing revenue to customer project timing, while bioprocessing orders grew mid-teens in the quarter. Source
  • Respiratory demand follows flu severity: Management said respiratory testing demand depends significantly on influenza and influenza-like illness severity, which management does not control. Source
  • Core growth improved from Q1: Core revenue growth was 3.0% in the second quarter, against 0.5% in the first quarter as reported in April.
  • End-market recovery expected to continue: Management expects to exit 2026 at a mid-single-digit core revenue growth rate, citing end-market recovery and recent growth initiatives. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Operating cash flow and FCF rose: Operating cash flow was $1,534 million and free cash flow $1,265 million, against $1,338 million and $1,094 million a year earlier. Source
  • Investing outflow was $10.1 billion: Cash used in investing activities was $10,147 million, against $258 million. Financing activities provided $7,273 million. Source
  • Capital expenditures slightly higher: Capital expenditures were $269 million against $248 million a year earlier. Six-month capital spending was $506 million. Source
  • Average diluted shares lower: Average diluted shares were 707.6 million against 719.1 million a year earlier. Full-year guidance assumes about 709 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • StatLab expected to be accretive: StatLab generated about $250 million of revenue in 2025. Management expects it to be accretive to adjusted diluted EPS in its first full year of ownership. Source
  • Capital deployment optionality cited: Management cited its portfolio, capital deployment optionality and team, powered by the Danaher Business System, as the basis for longer-term plans. Source

Non-GAAP adjustments and tax

  • Amortization is the largest adjustment: Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles was $463 million pretax, or $0.65 per diluted share, against $426 million and $0.59 a year earlier. Source
  • Masimo deal items added $0.15 per share: The Masimo-related items were $108 million pretax and $95 million after tax, or $0.15 per diluted share in the quarter. Source
  • Investment losses smaller than last year: Fair value losses on equity and limited partnership investments were $7 million pretax, against $44 million a year earlier. Source
  • No impairment charge this quarter: The year-earlier quarter included a $432 million pretax impairment of a Life Sciences trade name. The second quarter recorded none. Source
  • Tax items on prior uncertain positions: The charge related mainly to changes in estimates on prior-period uncertain tax positions, partly offset by reserve releases from audit settlements. Source

Coming up, as management said on 21 July 2026

  • StatLab closing by end of 2026: Management expects the StatLab acquisition to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Bioprocessing orders growth Sourcemid-teens
Respiratory testing sales, second quarter 2026 Source~$250 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Respiratory testing demand depends on influenza severity, which management does not control, so quarterly sales can vary with that severity. Source
  • Demand: Customer project timing reduced bioprocessing revenue in the quarter, even though orders grew. Source
  • External: Management refers to tariff-related impacts that it says can obscure underlying growth, and it excludes tariff refunds from core sales from the third quarter. Source
  • External: Currency translation is outside management's control and is subject to volatility, so the company excludes it from core sales. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: The Masimo acquisition was completed earlier than the company had anticipated. Source
  • Ahead: Management described the second quarter as better than expected, with core growth improving from the first quarter. Source
  • Not stated: The April release gave full-year Cepheid respiratory revenue of about $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion; the second-quarter release gives about $1,600 million for respiratory testing sales.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.