Trust Co. of Vermont Boosts Holdings in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated $DGX

Trust Co. of Vermont raised its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX) by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,340 shares of the medical research company’s stock after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $241,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. lifted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 126.9% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 152 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 57.8% during the 1st quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 183 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 76.6% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 189 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 157.3% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 193 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.06% of the company’s stock.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Performance

Shares of Quest Diagnostics stock opened at $180.88 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $179.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.94. The firm has a market cap of $20.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.56. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 12 month low of $146.17 and a 12 month high of $191.49.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The medical research company reported $2.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $0.05. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.01% and a return on equity of 15.24%. The company had revenue of $2.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.35 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. Quest Diagnostics has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.630-9.830 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 9.7 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 Monday, October 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 3rd will be paid a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 3rd. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Quest Diagnostics’s payout ratio is 38.32%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 2,210 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $375,700.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 8,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,436,500. This trade represents a 20.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Patrick Plewman sold 1,975 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $365,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,269 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,824,765. The trade was a 11.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 53,186 shares of company stock worth $9,647,471 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 8.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on DGX shares. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $160.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Robert W. Baird restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $194.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Monday, August 25th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $176.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $185.00 target price on Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $186.31.

Quest Diagnostics 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.