Motley Fool Asset Management LLC Sells 189 Shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX)

Motley Fool Asset Management LLC reduced its position in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,822 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 189 shares during the quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $251,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 103.3% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 148,251 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $20,441,000 after buying an additional 75,315 shares during the period. CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp bought a new stake in Quest Diagnostics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,483,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 14.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,613,793 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $318,517,000 after buying an additional 333,947 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 201.5% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 31,912 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $4,400,000 after buying an additional 21,327 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio increased its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 16,270 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,243,000 after acquiring an additional 1,150 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Trading Down 0.9 %

NYSE DGX opened at $134.26 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 0.97. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $119.59 and a fifty-two week high of $146.85. The stock has a market cap of $14.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.91. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $131.17.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.18. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.11% and a return on equity of 15.52%. The business had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, April 8th were paid a $0.75 dividend. This is an increase from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 5th. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. SVB Leerink initiated coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Monday, February 26th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $135.00 price target for the company. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $139.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $140.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Leerink Partnrs restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $146.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quest Diagnostics

In other news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total value of $706,312.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 38,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,843,610.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 5,611 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.88, for a total transaction of $706,312.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 38,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,843,610.64. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total transaction of $316,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 16,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,067,904.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 15,150 shares of company stock valued at $1,913,202. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.