Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) versus Daxor (NASDAQ:DXR) Critical Review

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) and Daxor (NASDAQ:DXR) are both medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Quest Diagnostics and Daxor, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Quest Diagnostics	0	10	7	1	2.50
Daxor	0	1	1	0	2.50

Quest Diagnostics currently has a consensus price target of $197.27, indicating a potential upside of 13.54%. Daxor has a consensus price target of $25.00, indicating a potential upside of 74.09%. Given Daxor’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Daxor is more favorable than Quest Diagnostics.

Profitability

This table compares Quest Diagnostics and Daxor’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Quest Diagnostics	8.91%	15.47%	6.84%
Daxor	N/A	N/A	N/A

Institutional and Insider Ownership

88.1% of Quest Diagnostics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 1.3% of Daxor shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.2% of Quest Diagnostics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 59.5% of Daxor shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Quest Diagnostics and Daxor”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Quest Diagnostics	$9.87 billion	1.96	$871.00 million	$8.52	20.39
Daxor	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Quest Diagnostics has higher revenue and earnings than Daxor.

Summary

Quest Diagnostics beats Daxor on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

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. It offers diagnostic information services primarily under the Quest Diagnostics brand, as well as under the AmeriPath, Dermpath Diagnostics, ExamOne, and Quanum brands to physicians, hospitals, patients and consumers, health plans, government agencies, employers, retailers, pharmaceutical companies and insurers, and accountable care organizations through a network of laboratories, patient service centers, phlebotomists in physician offices, call centers and mobile phlebotomists, nurses, and other health and wellness professionals. The company also provides risk assessment services for the life insurance industry; and healthcare organizations and clinicians information technology solutions. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey.

About Daxor

Daxor Corporation, a medical device company, provides blood volume measurement technology focused on blood volume testing. The company develops and markets BVA-100 Blood Volume Analyzer, a diagnostic blood test to provide safe, accurate, objective quantification of blood volume status and composition compared to patient-specific norms for used in a broad range of medical and surgical conditions. The company was formerly known as Idant Corporation and changed its name to Daxor Corporation in May 1973. Daxor Corporation was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Daxor Corporation is a subsidiary of Estate Of Joseph Feldschuh.