Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX – Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 11.050-11.250 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 10.760. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.0 billion-$12.1 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.9 billion.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Evercore set a $225.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $232.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Quest Diagnostics presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $220.73.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics Price Performance
Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.30. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 9.07%.The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.62 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics will post 10.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 8th were given a $0.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 8th. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is currently 38.01%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 8,147 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $1,629,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 13,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,702,000. This represents a 37.62% decrease in their position. 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, CEO J. E. Davis sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.14, for a total transaction of $1,941,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 132,423 shares in the company, valued at $25,708,601.22. The trade was a 7.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.
Key Quest Diagnostics News
Here are the key news stories impacting Quest Diagnostics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Quest Diagnostics beat Q2 estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $3.12 versus consensus around $2.81-$2.82 and revenue of $3.04 billion versus expectations of about $2.97 billion. Quest Diagnostics Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results; Raises Revenue and EPS Guidance for Full Year 2026
- Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year 2026 guidance, now expecting adjusted EPS of $11.05-$11.25 and revenue of $11.95 billion-$12.05 billion, both above prior expectations. Quest Diagnostics raises annual forecast on testing demand
- Positive Sentiment: Quarterly revenue rose 10.2% year over year, helped by 10.0% organic growth, suggesting demand trends are still supportive for the core testing business. Transcript: Quest Diagnostics Q2 2026 Earnings Conference Call
- Neutral Sentiment: Multiple reports on the earnings release and conference call reinforced the same message: solid execution, stronger guidance, and positive management commentary. Quest Diagnostics: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
- Neutral Sentiment: DGX had been rising ahead of earnings as investors positioned for a possible beat, and the strong report appears to have validated that optimism. Quest Diagnostics Rallies Ahead of Earnings as Investors Weigh Growth Initiatives
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Boston Partners increased its position in Quest Diagnostics by 32.8% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 4,036,881 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $767,978,000 after purchasing an additional 997,033 shares during the last quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 95.5% in the 4th quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 1,661,072 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $288,246,000 after purchasing an additional 811,320 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 36.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,599,602 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $287,337,000 after buying an additional 426,399 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 17.8% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,693,568 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $467,415,000 after acquiring an additional 406,658 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 171.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 557,155 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $106,183,000 after purchasing an additional 352,072 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.
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.
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