Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) EVP Sells $293,521.39 in Stock

by · The Markets Daily

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGXGet Free Report) EVP Catherine Doherty sold 1,433 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.83, for a total value of $293,521.39. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,402 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,010,781.66. The trade was a 2.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Down 0.1%

DGX stock traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $202.28. 642,015 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,114,914. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.96. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $157.20 and a fifty-two week high of $213.20. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $185.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $183.41. The company has a market capitalization of $22.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.12, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.66.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGXGet Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.07. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.75 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.23 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 6th will be given a $0.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 6th. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.57%.

Quest Diagnostics announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to buy up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Mizuho upped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $210.29.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on DGX

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 114.3% during the fourth quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 150 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Sittner & Nelson LLC bought a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 369.7% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 155 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new position in Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

About Quest Diagnostics

(Get Free Report)

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) is a leading provider of diagnostic information services that supports clinical decision-making for patients, physicians and healthcare organizations. The company operates a network of clinical laboratories and patient service centers that perform a broad range of laboratory tests and diagnostic assays used in routine care, disease diagnosis, monitoring and screening.

Its services span core clinical laboratory testing, anatomic pathology, molecular and genomic diagnostics, infectious disease testing and toxicology.

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