Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Price Target Increased to $150.00 by Analysts at Truist Financial

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its price target boosted by Truist Financial from $145.00 to $150.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the medical research company’s stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. TheStreet cut shares of Quest Diagnostics from a b- rating to a c rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Leerink Partnrs reissued a market perform rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Monday, February 26th. SVB Leerink initiated coverage on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Monday, February 26th. They set a market perform rating and a $135.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. They set an equal weight rating and a $145.00 target price on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $146.17.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:DGX opened at $134.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $14.91 billion, a PE ratio of 18.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.91. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $129.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $131.23. Quest Diagnostics has a fifty-two week low of $119.59 and a fifty-two week high of $146.85. 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 (NYSE:DGX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.29 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.11% and a return on equity of 15.52%. Quest Diagnostics’s quarterly revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.04 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 8th were paid a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 5th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. This is a boost from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is currently 38.22%.

Insider Transactions at Quest Diagnostics

In other news, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 2,500 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total value of $316,600.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 16,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,067,904.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 821 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.14, for a total value of $103,560.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,930,712. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 2,500 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total transaction of $316,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,329 shares in the company, valued at $2,067,904.56. 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 quarter. Insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC increased its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 100.0% in the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 218 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Spartan Planning & Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. 88.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

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.