Quest Diagnostics Incorporated $DGX Shares Sold by Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. lowered its position in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 3.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 163,778 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 6,032 shares during the quarter. Quest Diagnostics accounts for approximately 1.3% of Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. owned about 0.15% of Quest Diagnostics worth $31,213,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the second quarter worth about $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 369.7% during the 3rd 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 last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 18,400.0% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 185 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 7,946 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.35, for a total transaction of $1,488,683.10. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 7,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,410,745.50. The trade was a 51.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total transaction of $10,589,976.46. Following the completion of the sale, 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. Insiders sold 69,951 shares of company stock worth $13,473,408 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 8.16% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DGX opened at $207.12 on Friday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $23.04 billion, a PE ratio of 23.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.66. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 1-year low of $157.20 and a 1-year high of $213.20. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $182.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $182.13.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.75 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.23 EPS. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 EPS for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics declared that its board has initiated a stock 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 repurchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Monday, April 6th will be given a $0.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 6th. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. This is an increase from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is 36.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 25th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $208.93.

Trending Headlines about Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected Q4 results and stronger guidance helped drive a fresh 12‑month high, supporting the view that growth and margins are improving. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: The board approved a $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization (about 4.7% of shares outstanding), which is shareholder‑friendly and typically supports EPS and the stock price. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/target raises: Mizuho raised its target to $235 (Outperform) and Barclays raised to $225 (Overweight), reflecting bullish analyst views and additional upside to consensus. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Major analysts reiterated constructive ratings — Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy citing a strong 2026 outlook and margin expansion, and Citigroup published a bullish price‑appreciation forecast. These endorsements support longer‑term demand. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analytical pieces question sustainability after a 52‑week high and review fundamentals — useful context for assessing valuation and the potential for continued upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 earnings call transcript is available for investors who want management’s commentary on trends, margin drivers, and the 2026 outlook (useful but not market-moving by itself). Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale: SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares (~27% reduction of his holding) at about $204, which can spook some investors or be interpreted as tactical selling. Read More.

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.