Qiagen Posts $548 Million in Q3 Sales and Suspends 2026 Outlook Pending EQT Takeover

Qiagen reported third-quarter 2026 net sales of $548 million, up 3% from a year earlier and 3% at constant exchange rates, and suspended its 2026 outlook because of its pending transaction with EQT Private Equity. Business Wire published the full results on November 4, 2026.

Qiagen's Q3 Beat and the EQT Deal

Qiagen is a Netherlands-based molecular diagnostics and life sciences tools company that supplies sample preparation instruments, consumables, diagnostic tests and bioinformatics to clinical, pharmaceutical and academic customers, according to company records.

The quarter's 3% CER growth exceeded the outlook for about 1-2% CER growth. Consumables and related revenues rose 3% CER and were 91% of sales, while instrument sales rose 1% CER. Sales from the pillars rose 7% CER to $415 million, partly offset by a 7% CER decline in the rest of the portfolio.

Operating income increased to $132 million from $129 million in Q3 2025. Adjusted operating income rose 6% to $167 million, and the adjusted operating income margin was 30.4% of sales, up 0.8 percentage points from 29.6%, as sales growth, a growing contribution from higher-margin consumables and efficiency gains supported investments in Parse Biosciences after the late 2025 acquisition.

Diluted EPS was $0.51, compared with $0.60 in Q3 2025. Adjusted diluted EPS increased to $0.65 from $0.61, and results at CER of $0.65 were above the outlook for at least $0.62 CER. Operating cash flow was $447 million for the first nine months of 2026.

EQT's interest in Qiagen has been reported since the fall. Investing.com reported that Qiagen agreed to an all-cash acquisition by EQT at €10.8 billion, trading at a 40.3% premium to its July 8 price.

Qiagen's Earlier 2026 Results

According to akta.pro company records, Qiagen's first-quarter 2026 preliminary net sales were $492 million, up 2% on a reported basis but down 1% at constant exchange rates. The same records show full-year 2026 net sales growth guidance was reduced from at least 5% to approximately 1-2% CER, and QuantiFERON sales declined 5% CER in the first quarter of 2026 on significantly lower immigration testing demand in the US and Middle East.

What Led Up to the Q3 Report

On October 22, 2026, Wiwo reported that Qiagen had been exploring strategic options through banks since spring, with the search continuing under new CEO Jonathan Pratt, who took office in September. On October 31, 2026, Yahoo reported that Qiagen agreed to a €9.7b cash takeover by a consortium led by EQT XI at €46.50 per share, with suspended 2026 guidance and a possible interim dividend. On November 4, 2026, Investing.com reported that analysts expected adjusted EPS of $0.62 on revenue of $535.6 million ahead of the results.

Qiagen's Next Steps on the EQT Offer

The tender offer referenced in the results has not yet commenced. Qiagen said the offer document and related materials will be published in Germany once the necessary permission from BaFin has been obtained, and will also be filed with the SEC.