Insider Selling: Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) SVP Sells $1,155,048.00 in Stock

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.00, for a total value of $1,155,048.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,381 shares in the company, valued at $3,137,724. This represents a 26.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Performance

NYSE:DGX opened at $206.66 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $183.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $182.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $22.99 billion, a PE ratio of 23.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.66. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $157.20 and a fifty-two week high of $213.20.

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

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Investors of record on Monday, April 6th will be paid a $0.86 dividend. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 6th. This is an increase from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.57%.

Quest Diagnostics declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 10th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical research company to purchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Key Headlines Impacting Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected Q4 results and 2026 guidance: Q4 EPS $2.42 vs. $2.35 est., revenue $2.81B vs. $2.75B est., and FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $9.45–$9.65 — supports the recent run to a 12‑month high. Quest Diagnostics Hits New 12-Month High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: $1.0 billion share repurchase authorization (~4.7% of shares outstanding): board buyback typically supports EPS and signals management thinks shares are undervalued. Quest Diagnostics Board Approves Stock Repurchase Program
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: quarterly dividend raised to $0.86 (annualized $3.44), up from $0.80 — incremental income support and a sign of confidence in cash flow. Quest Diagnostics Has Announced That It Will Be Increasing Its Dividend To $0.86
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Mizuho upgraded to Buy and raised its target to $235 (largest recent target raise), and Citigroup published a constructive price‑appreciation forecast — these lifts can attract demand and support the stock. Quest Diagnostics Gets a Buy from Mizuho Securities Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Quest Diagnostics
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/mean‑reversion questions: coverage pieces note DGX is at a 52‑week high and review whether recent strength is sustainable — useful for gauging risk/reward but not new fundamental data. Can the Run Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares (~27% of his holding) at about $204 — insider sales can be viewed negatively by some investors even when proceeds are routine. SVP Patrick Plewman Sells 5,662 Shares

Institutional Trading of Quest Diagnostics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter worth $238,122,000. Boston Partners boosted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 4,036,881 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $767,978,000 after buying an additional 997,033 shares during the last quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. grew its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 66,757.0% in the 3rd quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 849,752 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $161,946,000 after buying an additional 848,481 shares during the period. M&G PLC increased its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 256.5% during the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 1,072,721 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $193,090,000 after acquiring an additional 771,824 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 450,161 shares during the period. 88.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on DGX. Robert W. Baird set a $219.00 price target on Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore ISI set a $220.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $208.93.

About Quest Diagnostics

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.