Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Decreases Holdings in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated $DGX

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 58.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 10,087 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 14,080 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $1,922,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in Quest Diagnostics in the fourth quarter valued at about $323,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 17.1% in the 2nd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 104,307 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $18,737,000 after purchasing an additional 15,223 shares during the period. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 6.1% in the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,218 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its position in Quest Diagnostics by 31.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 15,949 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,865,000 after buying an additional 3,785 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 55,093 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.22, for a total transaction of $10,589,976.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,158,665.60. This represents a 31.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.76, for a total value of $239,700.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,267,015.12. This represents a 6.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 64,289 shares of company stock worth $12,318,360. Corporate insiders own 8.16% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Mizuho raised their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $219.00 price objective on Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $207.27.

Trending Headlines about 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

Quest Diagnostics Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of DGX opened at $209.31 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $182.31 and its 200 day moving average is $181.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 12-month low of $157.20 and a 12-month high of $210.38. The company has a market capitalization of $23.28 billion, a PE ratio of 23.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.66.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The medical research company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.23 EPS. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.45-9.650 EPS. Research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical research company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 6th will be issued a $0.86 dividend. This represents a $3.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a positive change from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 6th. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is presently 39.31%.

Quest Diagnostics 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.