2,207 Quest Diagnostics Incorporated $DGX Shares Acquired by CENTRAL TRUST Co

CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its position in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 136.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,823 shares of the medical research company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,207 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $891,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of DGX. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Quest Diagnostics during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,965,923,000. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. boosted its position in Quest Diagnostics by 35.1% during the first quarter. EdgePoint Investment Group Inc. now owns 2,243,869 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $439,753,000 after purchasing an additional 582,797 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,949,535 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $382,085,000 after acquiring an additional 17,987 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 2nd quarter worth about $410,151,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 11.3% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 942,407 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $199,743,000 after acquiring an additional 95,804 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Down 0.1%

DGX stock opened at $259.46 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $241.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $215.58. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $171.18 and a fifty-two week high of $262.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.70. The company has a market cap of $28.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.55.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The medical research company reported $3.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 16.21% and a net margin of 9.53%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.60 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 11.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 12th will be issued a $0.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 12th. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Patrick Plewman sold 11,717 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $257.34, for a total value of $3,015,252.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 14,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,778,780.56. This trade represents a 44.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Catherine Doherty sold 22,105 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.02, for a total value of $5,482,482.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 71,949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,844,790.98. This represents a 23.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 67,702 shares of company stock worth $16,730,269. Insiders own 0.88% of the company’s stock.

Recent Quest Diagnostics Headlines

These are some of the DGX headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance article says DGX could be 31% undervalued following a push for the RESULTS Act, providing a potentially supportive policy and valuation angle. Quest Diagnostics stock could be undervalued following RESULTS Act push
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several earnings forecasts, including its FY2026 EPS estimate to $11.28 from $11.15 and its Q2 2027 estimate to $3.09 from $2.99. The improved forecasts may support investor confidence, though the FY2026 estimate remains close to the $11.29 consensus.
• Positive Sentiment: Quest announced a quarterly dividend of $0.86 per share, equivalent to $3.44 annually and a stated yield of about 1.3%. The announcement coincided with DGX reaching a new one-year high. Quest Diagnostics hits a one-year high following dividend announcement

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on DGX shares. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Argus set a $260.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $262.00 price objective on Quest Diagnostics in a report on Friday, October 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Quest Diagnostics presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $248.70.

Quest Diagnostics Profile

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) is a provider of diagnostic information services, conducting laboratory tests that help physicians and other health care professionals diagnose, monitor and manage medical conditions. Its services include routine blood and other clinical laboratory testing, anatomic pathology, and specialized molecular and genetic testing. The company serves patients, physicians, hospitals, health plans, employers and government organizations. In addition to testing performed through its laboratories and patient service centers, Quest offers services such as workplace drug testing and diagnostic support for clinical research.