Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX)
Quest Diagnostics is a major American laboratory business that runs the medical tests your doctor orders to help diagnose and monitor your health.
Is Quest Diagnostics Incorporated a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Quest Diagnostics is a major American laboratory business that runs the medical tests your doctor orders to help diagnose and monitor your health.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Dominance in the growing field of personalised medicine
Significant changes to government healthcare reimbursement policies
What does Quest Diagnostics Incorporated do?
Think of Quest as the engine room behind your GP's diagnosis; they process millions of blood, urine, and tissue samples every year to provide the data doctors need. Charges to insurance companies and patients for these diagnostic tests are what bring in the money. Much depends on how they balance their core testing business with new acquisitions and the rising demand for specialised genetic and cancer screening.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and income, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.5% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 10% over the year
- Momentum screens high (87/100)
- Essential service with steady, recurring demand
- Strong market position in the US diagnostic space
- Lower volatility compared to the broader stock market
- Changes in healthcare policy or insurance coverage
- Cybersecurity threats to sensitive patient data
- Rising labour costs for skilled laboratory staff
What do Quest Diagnostics Incorporated's numbers mean?
How much money does Quest Diagnostics Incorporated make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Quest Diagnostics Incorporated pay a dividend?
Yes - Quest Diagnostics Incorporated currently pays a dividend of about 1.5% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Quest Diagnostics Incorporated report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-20 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-23 | $2.82 | $3.12 | Beat +11% |
| 2026-04-21 | $2.37 | $2.50 | Beat +6% |
| 2026-02-10 | $2.36 | $2.42 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-10-21 | $2.50 | $2.60 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-07-22 | $2.57 | $2.62 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-04-22 | $2.15 | $2.21 | Beat +3% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Quest Diagnostics Incorporated came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.What are the scenarios for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential service with steady, recurring demand
- Strong market position in the US diagnostic space
- Lower volatility compared to the broader stock market
- Relies heavily on insurance and government reimbursement rates
- Limited ability to raise prices significantly
- High competition from hospital-owned laboratories
- Changes in healthcare policy or insurance coverage
- Cybersecurity threats to sensitive patient data
- Rising labour costs for skilled laboratory staff
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major shift in how healthcare providers handle their own lab work
- A sustained drop in the volume of routine medical testing
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.