Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Price Target Raised to $229.00

Key Points

• Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Quest Diagnostics from $224 to $229 while keeping a "neutral" rating, implying roughly 14.45% upside
• Quest beat Q1 estimates (adjusted EPS $2.50 vs. $2.37; revenue $2.90B vs. $2.83B), raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $10.63–$10.83, and the board approved a $1.0 billion share buyback (~4.7% of outstanding shares).
• Investor activity is mixed: insiders have sold recent shares (~24,083 shares, ~$4.95M in the last 90 days) even as large institutions (e.g., Norges Bank, Boston Partners) added sizable positions, creating balanced sentiment.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by Robert W. Baird from $224.00 to $229.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the medical research company's stock. Robert W. Baird's target price would suggest a potential upside of 14.45% from the stock's current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Evercore set a $225.00 price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $213.77.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DGX traded down $4.95 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $200.09. 166,379 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 987,339. The business's 50 day moving average is $200.53 and its 200-day moving average is $189.02. The company has a market capitalization of $22.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Quest Diagnostics has a 1-year low of $164.65 and a 1-year high of $213.50.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The medical research company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.13. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The company had revenue of $2.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.94 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics will post 10.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 10th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical research company to buy up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 3,878 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 transaction of $799,682.38. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 37,557 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,744,628.97. This represents a 9.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 2,628 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.86, for a total transaction of $538,372.08. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 13,441 shares in the company, valued at $2,753,523.26. This trade represents a 16.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 24,083 shares of company stock worth $4,945,262. 8.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DGX. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter worth about $229,522,000. Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 32.8% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 4,036,881 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $767,978,000 after purchasing an additional 997,033 shares in the last quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 66,757.0% during the 3rd quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 849,752 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $161,946,000 after purchasing an additional 848,481 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 67.8% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,114,451 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $193,391,000 after purchasing an additional 450,161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 2,531.6% during the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 450,898 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $85,932,000 after purchasing an additional 433,764 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance lift — Quest reported Q1 revenue of $2.90B (up ~9.2% YoY) and adjusted EPS $2.50, topping estimates; management raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $10.63–$10.83 and raised revenue guidance, driving the immediate positive reaction. PR Newswire: Q1 Results & Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships and AI momentum — Coverage highlights that new partnerships, consumer testing growth and investments in advanced diagnostics / AI are contributing to organic revenue strength and underpinning management’s raised outlook. Benzinga: Partnerships Lift Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target lift — Truist bumped its DGX price target to $225 (from $220) while keeping a “hold” rating, signalling modest upside from current levels and reinforcing the post‑earnings re‑rating. Benzinga: Truist Raises PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Shifting investment story and commentary — Recent analysis pieces and the earnings‑call transcript dig into why Quest’s mix is changing (more consumer testing, diagnostic information services) — useful context but not an immediate catalyst on its own. Yahoo: Investment Story Shifting
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional selling — Reports show numerous insider sales and large institutional position cuts (e.g., UBS, Wellington) in recent quarters, which could cap upside or pressure sentiment if sustained. QuiverQuant: Insider & Institutional Activity

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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