Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

DGX has been the topic of several other research reports. Baird R W raised Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Leerink Partnrs raised Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Citigroup increased their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 target price (up previously from $175.00) on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Quest Diagnostics from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $145.00 to $172.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.15.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Up 5.5 %

Shares of NYSE:DGX opened at $163.97 on Wednesday. Quest Diagnostics has a 52-week low of $123.04 and a 52-week high of $167.08. The stock has a market cap of $18.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.90. The business’s 50 day moving average is $155.42 and its 200 day moving average is $153.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.04. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.25% and a net margin of 8.82%. Sell-side analysts predict that Quest Diagnostics will post 8.9 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Quest Diagnostics news, CAO Michael J. Deppe sold 18,755 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.05, for a total transaction of $2,889,207.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 34,941 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,382,661.05. This trade represents a 34.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 340.4% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 251 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 2nd quarter valued at about $40,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $82,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

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.