Janus Henderson Group PLC Sells 21,725 Shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX)

Janus Henderson Group PLC lowered its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX - Free Report) by 61.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,682 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 21,725 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC's holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $2,065,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $355,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 980.3% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 24,198 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $3,650,000 after purchasing an additional 21,958 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $10,345,000. Finally, AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 12.0% in the 4th quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc now owns 144,773 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $21,852,000 after purchasing an additional 15,475 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company's stock.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Shares of DGX traded up $2.48 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $173.71. 1,048,425 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 992,313. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $170.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $164.45. The company has a market cap of $19.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 1 year low of $135.47 and a 1 year high of $179.99.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The medical research company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.63 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.80% and a return on equity of 15.07%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 7th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 7th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. Quest Diagnostics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.46%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on DGX shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $191.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Quest Diagnostics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $185.73.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 39,191 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.46, for a total value of $6,602,115.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 127,623 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,499,370.58. The trade was a 23.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 824 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total transaction of $142,230.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 69,178 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,940,814.58. This trade represents a 1.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 53,985 shares of company stock worth $9,147,802. Corporate insiders own 8.16% 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.