Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on DGX. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $178.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Barclays increased their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $182.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $191.00 to $194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic began coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $195.00 target price for the company. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $185.73.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:DGX traded down $0.71 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $173.69. 225,007 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 985,581. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The business's 50-day moving average price is $171.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $164.84. Quest Diagnostics has a 1 year low of $135.47 and a 1 year high of $179.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.52.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The medical research company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 15.07% and a net margin of 8.80%. Analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 874 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.72, for a total value of $153,579.28. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,372 shares in the company, valued at $1,471,127.84. The trade was a 9.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 5,370 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.13, for a total value of $935,078.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,068 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,852,680.84. This trade represents a 7.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 52,633 shares of company stock valued at $8,914,433. 8.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 57.8% in the 1st quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 183 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 76.6% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 189 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 157.3% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 193 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the first quarter worth about $35,000. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Quest Diagnostics

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.