Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its price target boosted by stock analysts at Barclays from $210.00 to $225.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the medical research company’s stock. Barclays‘s price target points to a potential upside of 8.63% from the company’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on DGX. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on Quest Diagnostics and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 25th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $208.93.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Down 1.1%

DGX opened at $207.12 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Quest Diagnostics has a fifty-two week low of $157.20 and a fifty-two week high of $213.20. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $182.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $182.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.67, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.66.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.07. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The company had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.23 earnings per share. Quest Diagnostics’s revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics

In other Quest Diagnostics news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total value of $10,589,976.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,158,665.60. The trade was a 31.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 7,946 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.35, for a total transaction of $1,488,683.10. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 7,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,410,745.50. This represents a 51.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 69,951 shares of company stock worth $13,473,408 over the last quarter. 8.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Quest Diagnostics

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 114.3% in 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 raised its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 113.7% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 156 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sittner & Nelson LLC bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in Quest Diagnostics by 369.7% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 155 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Quest Diagnostics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected Q4 results and stronger guidance helped drive a fresh 12‑month high, supporting the view that growth and margins are improving. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: The board approved a $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization (about 4.7% of shares outstanding), which is shareholder‑friendly and typically supports EPS and the stock price. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/target raises: Mizuho raised its target to $235 (Outperform) and Barclays raised to $225 (Overweight), reflecting bullish analyst views and additional upside to consensus. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Major analysts reiterated constructive ratings — Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy citing a strong 2026 outlook and margin expansion, and Citigroup published a bullish price‑appreciation forecast. These endorsements support longer‑term demand. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analytical pieces question sustainability after a 52‑week high and review fundamentals — useful context for assessing valuation and the potential for continued upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 earnings call transcript is available for investors who want management’s commentary on trends, margin drivers, and the 2026 outlook (useful but not market-moving by itself). Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale: SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares (~27% reduction of his holding) at about $204, which can spook some investors or be interpreted as tactical selling. Read More.

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.