Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Saturday morning.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on DGX. Evercore ISI set a $220.00 target price on Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $208.93.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

DGX opened at $206.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.99 billion, a PE ratio of 23.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The business’s 50-day moving average is $183.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $182.51. Quest Diagnostics has a 1 year low of $157.20 and a 1 year high of $213.20.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.23 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics will post 9.7 earnings per share 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. Investors of record on Monday, April 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.86 per share. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 6th. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio is 36.57%.

Quest Diagnostics announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical research company to purchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.76, for a total value of $239,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 17,037 shares in the company, valued at $3,267,015.12. The trade was a 6.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total transaction of $10,589,976.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,158,665.60. The trade was a 31.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 69,951 shares of company stock valued at $13,473,408. Insiders own 8.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $323,000. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,218 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $398,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in Quest Diagnostics by 14.9% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 10,478 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,879,000 after acquiring an additional 1,362 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 18.0% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 121,014 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $21,738,000 after purchasing an additional 18,484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the second quarter valued at about $242,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

More Quest Diagnostics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Quest Diagnostics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected Q4 results and 2026 guidance: Q4 EPS $2.42 vs. $2.35 est., revenue $2.81B vs. $2.75B est., and FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $9.45–$9.65 — supports the recent run to a 12‑month high. Quest Diagnostics Hits New 12-Month High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization (~4.7% of shares outstanding): board buyback typically supports EPS and signals management thinks shares are undervalued. Quest Diagnostics Board Approves Stock Repurchase Program
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: quarterly dividend raised to $0.86 (annualized $3.44), up from $0.80 — incremental income support and a sign of confidence in cash flow. Quest Diagnostics Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To $0.86
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Mizuho upgraded to Buy and raised its target to $235 (largest recent target raise), and Citigroup published a constructive price‑appreciation forecast — these lifts can attract demand and support the stock. Quest Diagnostics Gets a Buy from Mizuho Securities Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Quest Diagnostics
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/mean‑reversion questions: coverage pieces note DGX is at a 52‑week high and review whether recent strength is sustainable — useful for gauging risk/reward but not new fundamental data. Can the Run Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares (~27% of his holding) at about $204 — insider sales can be viewed negatively by some investors even when proceeds are routine. SVP Patrick Plewman Sells 5,662 Shares

About Quest Diagnostics

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.