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

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 9.45-9.650 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 10.410. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

Quest Diagnostics stock opened at $209.31 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $23.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $182.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $181.96. Quest Diagnostics has a 1 year low of $157.20 and a 1 year high of $210.38.

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

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.86 per share. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 6th. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.31%.

Quest Diagnostics announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the medical research company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on DGX. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial raised their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price objective on Quest Diagnostics and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $220.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $207.27.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.76, for a total value of $239,700.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 17,037 shares in the company, valued at $3,267,015.12. The trade was a 6.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total value of $10,589,976.46. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,158,665.60. The trade was a 31.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 64,289 shares of company stock valued at $12,318,360 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 8.16% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS $2.42 vs. consensus ~$2.35 and revenue of $2.81B (up 7.1% YoY); management highlighted rising test volumes that drove the beat. Q4 Results Release
• Positive Sentiment: Board authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase (up to ~4.7% of shares), which supports EPS and signals management confidence in the stock. Buyback Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend increased 7.5% to $0.86 (15th consecutive year of raises), improving yield and making the stock more attractive to income investors. Dividend Hike Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts showing bullish activity — Barclays raised its price target to $225 with an Overweight rating and Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy, both supporting upward momentum. Analyst Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock is at a 52‑week high and momentum-oriented coverage is highlighting that trend; this can attract momentum funds but can also set higher expectations. 52-Week High Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary on longer‑term growth drivers (e.g., blood-based Alzheimer’s testing) was reiterated — bullish for long-term revenue mix but not an immediate earnings driver. CEO Alzheimer’s Comment
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 reported EPS guidance (9.45–9.65) was below some prior consensus estimates (market consensus cited ~10.4), which could cap near-term multiple expansion despite an improved adjusted EPS range. Investors should watch how the market weighs reported vs. adjusted guidance. Guidance Details

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Quest Diagnostics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Quest Diagnostics during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. State of Wyoming boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 89.6% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 201 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 156.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 279 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Finally, Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in Quest Diagnostics during the third quarter valued at $64,000. 88.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

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.