Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 11.250-11.350 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 11.190. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.1 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.0 billion.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Shares of DGX opened at $241.49 on Friday. Quest Diagnostics has a 52 week low of $171.18 and a 52 week high of $248.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The firm has a market cap of $26.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.05, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $237.67 and a 200-day moving average of $216.82.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The medical research company reported $3.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.13. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 16.21% and a net margin of 9.53%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.60 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics will post 11.27 EPS for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th were issued a dividend of $0.86 per share. This represents a $3.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 6th. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio is 34.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on DGX shares. Argus set a $260.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $244.27.

Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics

In other Quest Diagnostics news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.72, for a total value of $2,427,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 122,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,714,510.56. This trade represents a 7.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 22,677 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.11, for a total value of $5,513,005.47. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 37,557 shares in the company, valued at $9,130,482.27. The trade was a 37.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 34,277 shares of company stock worth $8,316,493 in the last 90 days. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Quest Diagnostics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results beat estimates: Quest reported adjusted EPS of $3.00 versus the $2.87 consensus and revenue of $3.10 billion versus expectations of $3.05 billion. Revenue increased 10% year over year, while adjusted EPS rose 15.4%, reflecting stronger testing demand and margin improvement. Quest Diagnostics Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year guidance was raised: Quest now expects 2026 revenue of $12.065 billion to $12.105 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.25 to $11.35, above consensus estimates of approximately $12.0 billion and $11.19, respectively. Organic requisition volume rose 14.4% in the quarter, and consumer-health revenue is expected to grow more than 30% for the year. Quest Diagnostics Earnings Takeaways
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation and momentum remain supportive: Coverage characterized DGX as potentially undervalued following the guidance increase, while Zacks highlighted the company’s long-term momentum profile. Quest Diagnostics Could Be Undervalued
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $245 from $232 but maintained a Hold rating, indicating improved expectations without a clear bullish endorsement. Deutsche Bank Adjusts Quest Diagnostics Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Patient-data breach creates a major overhang: Quest disclosed unauthorized access to its Quanum Lab Services Manager, a system used to order tests and access results. The company confirmed that personal and health information was compromised, potentially exposing it to regulatory scrutiny, litigation, remediation costs, and reputational damage. Quest Diagnostics Patient Data Breach

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX) is a provider of diagnostic information services. The company performs laboratory testing that helps physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers diagnose, treat and monitor diseases and health conditions. Its services include routine blood and other specimen testing, pathology, molecular and genetic testing, and specialized diagnostic services.

Quest Diagnostics serves a broad range of customers, including hospitals, physician practices, health plans, employers, government agencies and individual consumers.