Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Reaches New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday after Truist Financial raised their price target on the stock from $250.00 to $260.00. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the stock. Quest Diagnostics traded as high as $248.84 and last traded at $244.81, with a volume of 893281 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $246.45.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on DGX. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Argus set a $260.00 target price on Quest Diagnostics in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $237.08.

Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics

In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Michael Prevoznik sold 22,677 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.11, for a total value of $5,513,005.47. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 37,557 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,130,482.27. The trade was a 37.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Mark Delaney sold 1,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.18, for a total value of $376,288.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 10,335 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,430,585.30. This represents a 13.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 34,277 shares of company stock valued at $8,316,493. 0.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Quest Diagnostics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quest’s diagnostic-testing growth, customer wins, advanced diagnostics and artificial-intelligence initiatives support a constructive long-term outlook. One analyst remains bullish despite Medicare-related risks. Quest Diagnostics: Testing Growth Keeps Me Bullish Despite Medicare Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial assigned Quest Diagnostics a $260 price target, implying analysts see additional upside from current levels. Quest Diagnostics Given New $260 Price Target at Truist Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted DGX as a potential long-term value stock, which may attract investors seeking defensive healthcare exposure at a reasonable valuation. Why Quest Diagnostics Is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: A Quest study finding substantial co-exposure to multiple tick-borne diseases highlights broader testing needs and could support demand for specialized diagnostics. Quest Diagnostics Study Finds High Tick-Borne Disease Co-Exposure
• Neutral Sentiment: Quest will report third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on October 22. The announcement itself does not change fundamentals but sets the next major catalyst for earnings, guidance and reimbursement commentary. Quest Diagnostics to Release Third Quarter Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent comparisons characterize DGX as having outperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, while a GeneDx comparison offers context on competitive positioning rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Is Quest Diagnostics Stock Outperforming the Nasdaq?
• Negative Sentiment: The key bearish catalyst is concern that the government believes Medicare has overpaid Quest and may reduce reimbursement rates next year. Investors fear the cuts could pressure revenue, margins and earnings, prompting the sharp decline in the stock. Why Quest Diagnostics Holdings Stock Dropped Today

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,183 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,099,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Quest Diagnostics by 5.1% during the second quarter. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,453 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 835 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $145,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 4.2% in the first quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,062 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $404,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital lifted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 2.8% in the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 3,120 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $647,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.69 billion, a PE ratio of 24.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $235.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $211.29.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.30. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.18% and a return on equity of 16.01%. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.62 earnings per share. Quest Diagnostics’s revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 11.15 EPS for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 6th will be issued a $0.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 6th. This represents a $3.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.52%.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX) is a provider of diagnostic information services. The company performs laboratory testing used to help diagnose, monitor and manage diseases and other health conditions, serving physicians, hospitals, health plans, employers, government agencies and individual consumers.

Its services include routine blood and urine testing, advanced and esoteric diagnostics, molecular and genetic testing, anatomic pathology, cancer testing, drug screening and wellness-related assessments.