Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) Shares Bought by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 28,488 shares of the medical research company’s stock after acquiring an additional 542 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $4,298,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 45.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 555 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 5,150 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $777,000 after buying an additional 1,854 shares during the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 16.0% during the 4th quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,075 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 425 shares during the last quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 20.2% during the 4th quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp now owns 1,606 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $242,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 21,124 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $3,187,000 after buying an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Up 0.2 %

DGX opened at $172.44 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $157.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $156.00. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 12 month low of $123.66 and a 12 month high of $172.91.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $2.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.04. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.07% and a net margin of 8.80%. On average, research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 7th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. This is a boost from Quest Diagnostics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is presently 39.01%.

Insider Transactions at Quest Diagnostics

In other news, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.57, for a total transaction of $205,712.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 16,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,775,802.19. The trade was a 6.90 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 604 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.99, for a total value of $103,277.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 39,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,813,096.55. The trade was a 1.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,792 shares of company stock worth $465,998. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DGX has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $166.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut Quest Diagnostics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 price objective (up previously from $175.00) on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $172.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $177.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $178.23.

Quest Diagnostics Company Profile

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.