Quest Diagnostics Incorporated $DGX Shares Sold by Finemark National Bank & Trust

Finemark National Bank & Trust lessened its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 39.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,253 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 16,270 shares during the period. Finemark National Bank & Trust’s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $4,813,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Perigon Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Quest Diagnostics by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $243,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance increased its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 1.4% during the third quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 4,232 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $807,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. True North Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 4.1% during the third quarter. True North Advisors LLC now owns 1,554 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 14.9% during the third quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 517 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 2.7% in the second quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 2,623 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics

In related news, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 1,433 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.83, for a total value of $293,521.39. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,402 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,010,781.66. This trade represents a 2.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Patrick Plewman sold 5,662 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 15,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,137,724. The trade was a 26.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 9,164 shares of company stock worth $1,872,363 in the last quarter. 8.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Up 0.3%

DGX stock opened at $211.75 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $23.26 billion, a PE ratio of 24.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.65. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 12 month low of $157.20 and a 12 month high of $213.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $188.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $184.89.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.23 earnings per share. The firm’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 forecast that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.86 per share. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 6th. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on DGX shares. Evercore set a $220.00 target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. UBS Group upped their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $210.29.

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.