Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Friday.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the stock from $140.00 to $155.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. 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 on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $139.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Leerink Partnrs reissued a market perform rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Monday, February 26th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $146.17.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE DGX opened at $137.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.97. Quest Diagnostics has a one year low of $119.59 and a one year high of $145.58. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $130.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $131.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.49, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.88.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.18. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.11% and a return on equity of 15.52%. The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.04 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics will post 8.78 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 38,478 shares in the company, valued at $4,843,610.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total value of $706,312.68. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 38,478 shares in the company, valued at $4,843,610.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 661 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.14, for a total value of $83,378.54. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 40,206 shares in the company, valued at $5,071,584.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,910 shares of company stock worth $2,159,602. Company insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Quest Diagnostics

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 218 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. BKM Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Spartan Planning & Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

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.