UBS Group Raises Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Price Target to $146.00

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at UBS Group from $139.00 to $146.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical research company’s stock. UBS Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 6.19% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on DGX. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $140.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays assumed coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, SVB Leerink started coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Monday, February 26th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $135.00 target price for the company. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $146.25.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DGX traded up $0.79 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $137.49. 578,796 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,051,003. The company has a market capitalization of $15.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.40, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.91. Quest Diagnostics has a 1 year low of $119.59 and a 1 year high of $148.62. The company’s 50-day moving average is $128.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $131.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.20.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.29 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.23% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.04 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics will post 8.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quest Diagnostics

In related news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total value of $706,312.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 38,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,843,610.64. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total value of $706,312.68. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 38,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,843,610.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 821 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.14, for a total transaction of $103,560.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,930,712. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,150 shares of company stock worth $1,913,202 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Czech National Bank increased its position 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 worth $2,715,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in 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 worth $538,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust lifted its position in Quest Diagnostics by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 1,909 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Naples Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in Quest Diagnostics by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 6,171 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $851,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. 88.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.