Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Price Target Raised to $235.00 at Mizuho

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its target price increased by Mizuho from $210.00 to $235.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the medical research company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on DGX. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Leerink Partners boosted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $203.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $208.93.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Down 1.1%

DGX opened at $207.12 on Thursday. Quest Diagnostics has a fifty-two week low of $157.20 and a fifty-two week high of $213.20. The business has a 50-day moving average of $182.76 and a 200-day moving average of $182.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $23.04 billion, a PE ratio of 23.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.66.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.35 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.75 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.57% and a net margin of 8.99%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.23 EPS. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics will post 9.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 6th will be given a $0.86 dividend. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 6th. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.57%.

Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics

In related news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total transaction of $10,589,976.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,480 shares in the company, valued at $23,158,665.60. This represents a 31.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.00, for a total transaction of $1,155,048.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 15,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,137,724. This trade represents a 26.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 69,951 shares of company stock worth $13,473,408. 8.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DGX. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $323,000. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 6.1% in the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,218 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $398,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in Quest Diagnostics by 31.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 15,949 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,865,000 after purchasing an additional 3,785 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 13.4% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 23,853 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $4,285,000 after buying an additional 2,827 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 14.9% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 10,478 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,879,000 after buying an additional 1,362 shares during the period. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.