Quest Diagnostics Incorporated $DGX Shares Acquired by ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd

Key Points

• ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd increased its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 178.7% in the fourth quarter, lifting its holdings to 171,987 shares valued at about $29.8 million.
• Quest Diagnostics reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.50 beating estimates and revenue of $2.90 billion topping expectations; revenue also rose 9.2% year over year.
• The company announced a $1 billion share repurchase plan, while Wall Street sentiment remains constructive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $216.58.

ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd lifted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX - Free Report) by 178.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 171,987 shares of the medical research company's stock after buying an additional 110,280 shares during the period. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd owned approximately 0.15% of Quest Diagnostics worth $29,847,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in DGX. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 114.3% during the fourth quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 150 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 113.7% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 156 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:DGX opened at $186.52 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $20.65 billion, a PE ratio of 20.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a twelve month low of $164.65 and a twelve month high of $213.50. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $195.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $189.92.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The medical research company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.13. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.07% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business had revenue of $2.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.94 EPS. The company's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.630-10.830 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 10.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical research company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $225.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $224.00 to $229.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $216.58.

Quest Diagnostics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised FY2026, FY2027, and Q3 2027 EPS estimates for Quest Diagnostics, signaling improved earnings expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Barron’s highlighted Quest Diagnostics as one of the stocks potentially rebounding after a rough patch, which may support investor interest. Quest Diagnostics, Altria, and 12 More Stocks That Are Coming Back to Life After a Rough Patch
• Neutral Sentiment: A new valuation-focused article examined Quest Diagnostics’ investment narrative, but it did not include a direct corporate catalyst. How The Investment Narrative For Quest Diagnostics (DGX) Is Shifting With New Valuation Work
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut estimates for Q2 2026, Q2 2027, Q1 2028, and FY2028 EPS, which could pressure sentiment if investors focus on slower longer-term earnings growth.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quest Diagnostics

In related news, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 5,558 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $206.21, for a total value of $1,146,115.18. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 67,122 shares in the company, valued at $13,841,227.62. This represents a 7.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 2,628 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.86, for a total transaction of $538,372.08. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 13,441 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,753,523.26. This trade represents a 16.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 18,421 shares of company stock worth $3,790,214 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.88% of the company's stock.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

Quest Diagnostics NYSE: DGX is a leading provider of diagnostic information services that supports clinical decision-making for patients, physicians and healthcare organizations. The company operates a network of clinical laboratories and patient service centers that perform a broad range of laboratory tests and diagnostic assays used in routine care, disease diagnosis, monitoring and screening.

Its services span core clinical laboratory testing, anatomic pathology, molecular and genomic diagnostics, infectious disease testing and toxicology.

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