Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Given New $146.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its price target raised by investment analysts at UBS Group from $139.00 to $146.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the medical research company’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 7.77% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on DGX. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $140.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays initiated coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Leerink Partnrs reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $146.17.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

DGX opened at $135.47 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.09, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.91. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $128.89 and a 200-day moving average of $131.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Quest Diagnostics has a 12-month low of $119.59 and a 12-month high of $147.96.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.18. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.52% and a net margin of 9.11%. The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.04 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quest Diagnostics

In other news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total transaction of $706,312.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 38,478 shares in the company, valued at $4,843,610.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 5,557 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.57, for a total value of $703,349.49. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 69,599 shares in the company, valued at $8,809,145.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total value of $706,312.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 38,478 shares in the company, valued at $4,843,610.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,150 shares of company stock valued at $1,913,202 in the last 90 days. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Quest Diagnostics

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Czech National Bank raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 19,692 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,715,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $179,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 4,417 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $538,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust increased its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 1,909 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $263,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Naples Global Advisors LLC raised its position in Quest Diagnostics by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 6,171 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $851,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

About Quest Diagnostics

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.