Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Stock

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) had its price objective upped by stock analysts at Citigroup from $190.00 to $215.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical research company’s stock. Citigroup’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 2.72% from the stock’s previous close.

DGX has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wall Street Zen cut Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 25th. Leerink Partners increased their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $203.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on Quest Diagnostics and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $207.27.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Up 1.9%

DGX opened at $209.31 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.66. Quest Diagnostics has a one year low of $157.20 and a one year high of $210.38. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $182.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $181.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.07. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.57% and a net margin of 8.99%.The business had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.23 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical research company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.76, for a total value of $239,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,267,015.12. This trade represents a 6.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total transaction of $10,589,976.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 120,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,158,665.60. The trade was a 31.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 64,289 shares of company stock valued at $12,318,360. 8.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Quest Diagnostics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DGX. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 117.5% in the third quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC now owns 5,034 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $959,000 after purchasing an additional 2,720 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $4,713,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 2,531.6% in the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 450,898 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $85,932,000 after buying an additional 433,764 shares during the period. TKG Advisors LLC increased its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 125.1% during the third quarter. TKG Advisors LLC now owns 14,596 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,782,000 after purchasing an additional 8,112 shares during the period. Finally, Nuance Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Quest Diagnostics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $5,757,000. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

More Quest Diagnostics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS $2.42 vs. consensus ~$2.35 and revenue of $2.81B (up 7.1% YoY); management highlighted rising test volumes that drove the beat. Q4 Results Release
• Positive Sentiment: Board authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase (up to ~4.7% of shares), which supports EPS and signals management confidence in the stock. Buyback Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend increased 7.5% to $0.86 (15th consecutive year of raises), improving yield and making the stock more attractive to income investors. Dividend Hike Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts showing bullish activity — Barclays raised its price target to $225 with an Overweight rating and Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy, both supporting upward momentum. Analyst Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock is at a 52‑week high and momentum-oriented coverage is highlighting that trend; this can attract momentum funds but can also set higher expectations. 52-Week High Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary on longer‑term growth drivers (e.g., blood-based Alzheimer’s testing) was reiterated — bullish for long-term revenue mix but not an immediate earnings driver. CEO Alzheimer’s Comment
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 reported EPS guidance (9.45–9.65) was below some prior consensus estimates (market consensus cited ~10.4), which could cap near-term multiple expansion despite an improved adjusted EPS range. Investors should watch how the market weighs reported vs. adjusted guidance. Guidance Details

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.