Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Stock Price

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its target price increased by Citigroup from $190.00 to $215.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the medical research company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $203.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Piper Sandler boosted 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. Truist Financial raised their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $201.00.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Up 7.2%

Shares of DGX opened at $204.96 on Tuesday. Quest Diagnostics has a fifty-two week low of $157.20 and a fifty-two week high of $207.05. The business has a 50-day moving average of $181.77 and a 200 day moving average of $181.77. The firm has a market cap of $22.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 15.47%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.23 earnings per share. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics will post 9.7 EPS for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to buy up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 6th will be given a dividend of $0.86 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 6th. This is a boost from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.56%.

Insider Transactions at Quest Diagnostics

In related news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total value of $10,589,976.46. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 120,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,158,665.60. This represents a 31.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 1,250 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.76, for a total value of $239,700.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 17,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,267,015.12. This trade represents a 6.84% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 64,289 shares of company stock valued at $12,318,360 in the last quarter. Insiders own 8.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 114.3% during the fourth quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 150 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 113.7% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 156 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Quest Diagnostics in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 369.7% in the third 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. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. 88.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus: adjusted EPS of $2.42 topped estimates and revenue of $2.81B was up 7.1% year-over-year, driven by stronger test volumes and price/mix. This is the core catalyst cited by multiple outlets. Yahoo Finance: Q4 Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder-return boost: board raised the quarterly dividend 7.5% to $0.86 and authorized an additional $1.0B in share repurchases — a clear positive for income and buyback-driven EPS support. PR Newswire: Dividend & Repurchase
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market reaction: shares hit a 52‑week high and Citigroup raised its price target to $215 (neutral rating), reflecting positive reception to the quarter and capital return actions. MSN: 52-week high Benzinga: Citi PT raise
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth potential: CEO comments on developing blood-based Alzheimer’s diagnostics highlight a potential new growth avenue if tests gain clinical adoption and reimbursement. YouTube: CEO on Alzheimer’s testing
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials and call: company released the earnings press release, slide deck and full transcript; management reiterated drivers (volume growth, pricing, cost control) that investors will parse for sustainability. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance is mixed: FY2026 reported diluted EPS guidance of $9.45–$9.65 (and adjusted EPS ranges detailed in the release) may sit below some street estimates, creating a risk that analysts trim expectations despite the quarter. PR Newswire: Q4 Results & Guidance

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.