IQVIA Holdings Stock: Is IQV Underperforming the Healthcare Sector?

With a market cap of $26.7 billion, IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV) is a global provider of clinical research services, commercial insights, and healthcare intelligence to the life sciences and healthcare industries. Based in Durham, North Carolina, the company operates through four segments: Technology & Analytics Solutions, Research & Development Solutions, Contract Sales & Medical Solutions, and Contract Sales & Medical Solutions.

Companies valued at $10 billion or more are generally classified as “large-cap” stocks, and IQVIA fits this criterion perfectly. The company utilizes a range of privacy-enhancing technologies and safeguards to protect individual privacy while generating and analyzing information on a scale that enables healthcare stakeholders to identify disease patterns and correlate them with the precise treatment path and therapy required for improved outcomes. 

Shares of IQVIA have dipped 36.8% from its 52-week high of $252.88. IQV stock has declined 15.4% over the past three months, underperforming the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLV) 8.1% decrease.

On a YTD basis, IQVIA’s stock has crumbled 18.7%, lagging behind XLV’s 1.4% decline. Additionally, over the past 52 weeks, shares of IQV have plunged nearly 26%, compared to XLV's 7.7% drop.

Despite a recent uptick, the stock has been trading below its 50-day moving average since late September last year. Also, the stock has remained below its 200-day moving average since late October last year. 

IQVIA stock fell 4% following the release of its mixed Q1 2025 earnings on May 6. The company reported revenue of $3.8 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year, surpassing the consensus estimate. Despite the top-line beat, the stock declined as net income dropped 13.5% year-over-year to $249 million. Its adjusted EPS came in at $2.70, a 6.3% rise from the prior year’s quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.36. 

Looking ahead, IQV expects full-year 2025 revenue to range between $16 billion and $16.4 billion, with adjusted EPS projected between $11.70 and $12.10. 

Moreover, rival Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) has outperformed IQV stock. Shares of Agilent Technologies have fallen 10.3% on a YTD basis and 9.4% over the past 52 weeks.

Despite IQV’s underperformance relative to the sector, analysts are bullish about its stock’s prospects. IQV has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” from the 21 analysts covering the stock, and as of writing, it is trading below the mean price target of $189.71.