Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The medical research company reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.82 by $0.30, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.07% and a return on equity of 15.60%. Quest Diagnostics’s revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.62 EPS. Quest Diagnostics updated its FY 2026 guidance to 11.050-11.250 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Quest Diagnostics’ conference call:

• Quest Diagnostics reported second-quarter revenue growth of 10.2% to $3.04 billion, with adjusted diluted EPS up 19.1%, and said the results were driven by broad demand across physician, hospital and consumer channels.
• The company raised full-year 2026 guidance, now expecting revenue of $11.95 billion-$12.05 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.05-$11.25, citing strong first-half performance and continued momentum.
• Management said volume trends remain strong, with physician, hospital and consumer channels all growing; hospital revenues were up in double digits, and Quest sees a healthy pipeline for more co-lab and outreach deals.
• The company said reimbursement and pricing were broadly stable, with overall pricing roughly flat year over year and no meaningful change in bad debt or patient collections despite broader hospital-sector concerns.
• Quest highlighted continued progress in higher-growth advanced diagnostics, including Haystack MRD receiving New York State approval and expanded access via Flatiron integration, plus strong growth in brain health and cardiometabolic testing.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

NYSE:DGX traded up $15.24 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $225.07. The stock had a trading volume of 1,659,919 shares, compared to its average volume of 951,134. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $201.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $196.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.92 billion, a PE ratio of 24.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.08. Quest Diagnostics has a 12 month low of $165.78 and a 12 month high of $237.78.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 8th were paid a $0.86 dividend. This represents a $3.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 8th. Quest Diagnostics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Quest Diagnostics

In other Quest Diagnostics news, CEO J. E. Davis sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.14, for a total value of $1,941,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 132,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,708,601.22. This trade represents a 7.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 8,147 shares of Quest Diagnostics stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $1,629,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 13,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,702,000. The trade was a 37.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DGX. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Quest Diagnostics by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,387 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Ossiam raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 6.1% in the third quarter. Ossiam now owns 1,059 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $202,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 7,287 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,265,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC lifted its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 3,518 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $611,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $608,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Quest Diagnostics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quest Diagnostics beat Q2 estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $3.12 versus consensus around $2.81-$2.82 and revenue of $3.04 billion versus expectations of about $2.97 billion. Quest Diagnostics Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results; Raises Revenue and EPS Guidance for Full Year 2026
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year 2026 guidance, now expecting adjusted EPS of $11.05-$11.25 and revenue of $11.95 billion-$12.05 billion, both above prior expectations. Quest Diagnostics raises annual forecast on testing demand
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly revenue rose 10.2% year over year, helped by 10.0% organic growth, suggesting demand trends are still supportive for the core testing business. Transcript: Quest Diagnostics Q2 2026 Earnings Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple reports on the earnings release and conference call reinforced the same message: solid execution, stronger guidance, and positive management commentary. Quest Diagnostics: Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Neutral Sentiment: DGX had been rising ahead of earnings as investors positioned for a possible beat, and the strong report appears to have validated that optimism. Quest Diagnostics Rallies Ahead of Earnings as Investors Weigh Growth Initiatives

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $232.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Quest Diagnostics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $220.73.

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.