Hologic Trading Near 52-Week High: How Should You Play the Stock?

Shares of Hologic HOLX closed the first trading session of the year at $74.56, which is quite close to the 52-week high of $75.34, reached on Dec. 15, 2025. In the past six months, the company has gained 15.9%, outperforming its industry and sector, while the proposed $18.3 billion-take-private deal by Blackstone and TPG continued to draw widespread focus.  At current levels, the transaction implies roughly a 1.9% upside potential to the $76 offer, assuming stockholder approval and other customary closing conditions ahead of the expected completion in the first half of 2026.

The stock also surpassed the S&P 500 composite, which rallied 13% in the same period. Among its major competitors, Abbott ABT fell 7.1%, while CooperCompanies COO rose 10.7%, both trailing behind Hologic’s performance.

HOLX 6-Month Price Performance

From a technical standpoint, HOLX stock is trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, suggesting robust investor confidence.

What’s Favoring Hologic?

The company continues to benefit from Molecular Diagnostics, comprising a wide range of assays that run on the Panther and the Panther Fusion platforms. The BV, CV/ TV assay ranks as Hologic’s second-largest globally, from being a newly launched product in 2019. With most of the growth coming from the conversion of existing manual testing to Panther, Hologic is working to increase penetration in the vast U.S. vaginitis market by driving awareness and securing reimbursement for this high-throughput test. In addition, the robust adoption of the Breast Cancer Index (“BCI”) test is driving higher lab testing volumes within the Biotheranostics business.

In Breast Health, initiatives implemented by the new commercial leadership, including a bifurcated sales structure and rollout of the end-of-life strategy for older gantries, supported the division’s return to growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Interventional breast health products are also a strong growth driver due to the Endomagnetics acquisition, which expanded the portfolio with wire-free breast surgery localization and lymphatic tracing solutions.

The Mysore suite of devices, the Fluent fluid management system and strong sales of the NovaSure devices in international markets are driving the GYN Surgical division’s performance. Hologic acquired Gynesonics last year, adding the highly complementary Sonata System to the fibroid treatment portfolio. The company’s M&A strategy has always been pursuing tuck-in deals that align with its three franchises, aiming to acquire assets that leverage the existing strengths, drive top-line growth and add accretion to earnings over time.

Hologic’s Clinical Momentum & New Wins

With the growing importance of AI in mammography, several recent studies underscore Hologic’s potential to help radiologists work more efficiently without compromising quality. A retrospective study of more than 160,000 screening mammography exams compared cancer detection rates before and after adopting the company’s 3DQuorum imaging technology, with findings showing no significant difference in cancer detection rates post-implementation. 

In another study, Hologic’s Genius AI Detection solution performed at par with 108 radiologists from the U.K. and the United States reviewing 75 challenging breast cancer cases. Additionally, Genius AI was found to flag a third of breast cancer cases initially interpreted as negative in a retrospective analysis of 7,500 digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography) screening exams. At RSNA 2025, Hologic also showcased the next-generation Envision Mammography Platform, expected to launch in the coming months.

In Diagnostics, new evidence from 11 investigational studies offers deeper insight into premenopausal patient populations, supports more nuanced endocrine therapy decision-making and highlights the consistency of the BCI Test’s performance across diverse patient subgroups and sample types. Further, the Genius Digital Diagnostics System received expanded CE marking in the European Union, now approved to image and review both cell and tissue specimens. The company also achieved FDA 510(k) clearance and the CE-IVDR for the new Panther Fusion Gastrointestinal Bacterial and Expanded Bacterial Assays.

HOLX’s Valuation Metrics

Hologic appears undervalued. Based on the forward, three-year price-to-earnings (P/E), shares are trading at 16.12X, lower than their median as well as the 29.91X industry average. The stock carries a Value Score of B at present. Meanwhile, Abbott and CooperCompanies have a three-year P/E of 21.90X and 17.72X, respectively.

Hologic’s 3-Year P/E

Macro Woes Stay a Concern for Hologic

Hologic faces ongoing macroeconomic volatilities, including a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports. The company manufactures most of its GYN Surgical and Breast Health interventional breast solutions and disposable products at its Costa Rica facility, and sources raw materials and components from China that are subject to significantly higher rates. Based on the mitigation efforts taken and planned, direct tariff costs are expected to total nearly $10-$14 million per quarter in fiscal 2026. This excludes the potential cost increases from vendors and suppliers. Further, the challenging operating environment in China and USAID funding cuts also remain a headwind, particularly for the Diagnostics division.

Conclusion

Currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company, Hologic appears well-positioned to keep benefiting from its divisional strengths. The company’s innovations continue to gather strong clinical evidence, while recent regulatory developments are also encouraging. The stock’s recent favorable price performance and appealing valuation justify a hold position for current investors. However, prospective buyers can wait for better visibility before entering. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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