Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Releases Earnings Results

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The medical research company reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.04, Zacks reports. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.82% and a return on equity of 15.25%. Quest Diagnostics updated its FY 2025 guidance to 9.550-9.800 EPS.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Shares of DGX opened at $162.77 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $155.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $153.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.17. Quest Diagnostics has a 1-year low of $123.04 and a 1-year high of $167.08. The stock has a market cap of $18.17 billion, a PE ratio of 21.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.90.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 7th. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.32%.

Insider Transactions at Quest Diagnostics

In other news, CAO Michael J. Deppe sold 18,755 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.05, for a total value of $2,889,207.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 34,941 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,382,661.05. This trade represents a 34.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on DGX shares. Morgan Stanley raised Quest Diagnostics from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $145.00 to $172.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays upped their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $168.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $172.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Quest Diagnostics presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.00.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

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.