Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Hits New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday after Truist Financial raised their price target on the stock from $250.00 to $260.00. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the stock. Quest Diagnostics traded as high as $248.84 and last traded at $244.81, with a volume of 893281 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $246.45.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on DGX. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Quest Diagnostics from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $237.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quest Diagnostics

In related news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.72, for a total value of $2,427,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 122,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,714,510.56. This trade represents a 7.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 1,600 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.18, for a total transaction of $376,288.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 10,335 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,430,585.30. This trade represents a 13.41% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 34,277 shares of company stock worth $8,316,493. Insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher Truist price target: Truist raised its target for Quest Diagnostics from $250 to $260, implying additional upside, although it maintained a “hold” rating. Quest Diagnostics Given New $260 Price Target at Truist Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives remain supportive: Recent customer wins, advanced diagnostic offerings and artificial-intelligence initiatives are cited as potential drivers of longer-term growth. Quest has also outperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, with analysts remaining moderately optimistic. Is This the Right Time to Add DGX Stock to Your Portfolio?
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded testing opportunity: A Quest study found that nearly one-third of patients with evidence of Lyme disease exposure also had antibodies linked to another tick-borne pathogen, highlighting potential demand for broader testing. Quest Diagnostics Tick-Borne Disease Study
• Neutral Sentiment: Quest will release third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on October 22. Investors may remain cautious ahead of the report, which will provide an update on revenue, margins and full-year guidance. Quest Diagnostics Third-Quarter Results Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Reimbursement risk is the primary pressure: Reports indicate the government believes it has been overpaying Quest and may reduce payments next year. Investors are treating the possibility of lower reimbursement as a threat to revenue and profitability. Why Quest Diagnostics Holdings Stock Dropped Today

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Quest Diagnostics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,965,923,000. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 35.1% during the 1st quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 2,243,869 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $439,753,000 after purchasing an additional 582,797 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Quest Diagnostics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $410,151,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 0.9% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,949,535 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $382,085,000 after acquiring an additional 17,987 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter valued at about $229,522,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Down 4.0%

The company has a market cap of $25.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.55. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $234.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $211.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.59.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.18% and a return on equity of 16.01%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.62 EPS. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.250 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 11.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 6th. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is 36.52%.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX) is a provider of diagnostic information services. The company performs laboratory testing used to help diagnose, monitor and manage diseases and other health conditions, serving physicians, hospitals, health plans, employers, government agencies and individual consumers.

Its services include routine blood and urine testing, advanced and esoteric diagnostics, molecular and genetic testing, anatomic pathology, cancer testing, drug screening and wellness-related assessments.