Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $154.33.

Several analysts recently weighed in on DGX shares. Barclays lifted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $144.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Citigroup raised Quest Diagnostics from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $165.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $152.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $150.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 29th.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

NYSE:DGX opened at $154.42 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $17.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $150.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $141.54. Quest Diagnostics has a one year low of $119.59 and a one year high of $159.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.04. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 15.35%. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.39 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.30 EPS. Quest Diagnostics’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics will post 8.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 4th will be paid a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 4th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.94%. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is 40.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 420 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.08, for a total value of $60,093.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 5,019 shares in the company, valued at $718,118.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 1,990 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.26, for a total value of $304,987.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,459 shares in the company, valued at $1,756,206.34. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.08, for a total transaction of $60,093.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 5,019 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $718,118.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new stake in Quest Diagnostics during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management bought a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in Quest Diagnostics in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 77.5% during the 2nd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 229 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.