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

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS 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 Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:DGX traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $243.46. The company had a trading volume of 36,230 shares, compared to its average volume of 977,785. Quest Diagnostics has a 1 year low of $171.18 and a 1 year high of $248.84. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $237.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $216.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.73, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.54.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The medical research company reported $3.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.13. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.18% and a return on equity of 16.01%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.60 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics will post 11.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th were given a dividend of $0.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 6th. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on DGX shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Monday. Mizuho raised their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Quest Diagnostics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $244.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO J. Davis sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.72, for a total transaction of $2,427,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,423 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,714,510.56. This trade represents a 7.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Michael Prevoznik sold 22,677 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 34,277 shares of company stock valued at $8,316,493 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

More Quest Diagnostics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose 10.0% year over year to $3.10 billion, exceeding analyst expectations. Adjusted diluted EPS increased 15.4% to $3.00, also beating consensus estimates, while reported diluted EPS rose 28.7% to $2.78. Quest Diagnostics Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results; Raises Revenue and EPS Guidance for Full Year 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Quest raised its 2026 guidance, now forecasting revenue of $12.065 billion to $12.105 billion, reported EPS of $10.21 to $10.31, and adjusted EPS of $11.25 to $11.35. The outlook reflects strong testing demand and improving margins. Quest Diagnostics Raises 2026 Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Organic requisition volume climbed 14.4% during the quarter, and management expects consumer health revenue to grow more than 30% in 2026, suggesting broad-based demand and additional growth opportunities. Quest Diagnostics: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite beating estimates and raising guidance, some coverage characterized the quarter as merely adequate, indicating that investor expectations may already have been elevated and limiting the earnings-driven upside. Why Quest’s Good Enough Third Quarter Wasn’t Actually Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Quest disclosed unauthorized access to its Quanum LSM system, which contains patient records. The company is investigating the incident; the scope of affected information, potential costs, regulatory consequences, and reputational impact remain unclear. Quest Diagnostics Reports Unauthorized Access to Patient Records System

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

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.