DGX - Sector: Healthcare --- Industry: Medical Laboratories & Research

[setravis]

Profile:  

Quest Diagnostics Inc.
3 Giralda Farms
Madison, NJ 07940
United States - Map
Phone: 973-520-2700
Web Site: http://www.questdiagnostics.com

DETAILS  
Index Membership: S&P 500
S&P 1500 Super Comp
Sector: Healthcare
Industry: Medical Laboratories & Research
Full Time Employees: 42,800


BUSINESS SUMMARY  
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. It provides patients and physicians the access to diagnostic laboratory services through its network of laboratories and owned patient service centers; and interpretive consultation. The company also offers commercial clinical testing services, including routine clinical testing for blood chemistries, complete blood cell counts, urinalyses, pregnancy and other prenatal tests, microbiology testing, alcohol and other substance-abuse tests, and allergy tests; cancer diagnostics, such as anatomic pathology services; and gene-based and other esoteric testing. In addition, it offers various risk assessment services for insurance companies. Further, Quest Diagnostics develops and manufactures products that enable healthcare professionals to make healthcare diagnoses, including HerpeSelect ELISA tests that detect patient antibodies to certain types of Herpes Simplex virus and are sold to academic medical centers, hospitals, and commercial laboratories; White Blood Cell Analyzer, a whole-blood test performed on finger-stick samples for providing a total white blood cell count; and InSure fecal immunochemical test for screening for colorectal cancer. Additionally, it develops and integrates clinical connectivity and data management solutions for healthcare organizations, physicians, and clinicians through its Care360 suite of products; offers the ChartMaxx electronic document management system for hospitals; and has capabilities to deploy a health information exchange system enabling healthcare providers to access and manage patient data from multiple sources at the point-of-care. Quest Diagnostics also collaborates with Google to launch Google Health that allows patients to share, save, organize, and manage their medical records and personal health information online. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey.

[setravis]

DGX pulled back Wednesday after a big volume , 6% gap up Tuesday.
That jump lifted the diagnostic medical testing services provider past
a $52.56 buy point on a 10-week Cup shaped base.

The company reported Tuesday its Q1 earnings rose 24%, its best quarter
since at least 2004 and well above analysts' estimates. "There's nothing like beating the earnings predictions to drive a stock up". Revenue climbed
1% to $1.8 billion, in line with analysts' consensus.
DGX said revenue rose for the quarter, despite a drop in testing volume due
to an increase in more expensive test. Jefferies & Co. cut the stock to hold
from buy on Wednesday.


52wk Range: 38.66 - 59.95
Volume: 2,442,430
Avg Vol (3m): 1,606,250
Market Cap: 9.60B
P/E (ttm): 16.98
EPS (ttm): 2.97
Div & Yield: 0.40 (0.70%)

Technicals
Last Price Quote is:
1.06%above 13-day MA
4.32%above 50-day MA
RS Rating: 59 

Fundamentals
Analyst Downgrade to Hold

Key Data:
Market Cap (M): $9,580.20 
P/E Ratio: 15.58 
PEG Ratio: 1.06767 
Next Earnings: 07/21/2009
Last Analyst Rating: Hold

Is DGX set to breakout  Trends indicating a bullish move?

Below are the 3 month...9 month...and 4 year charts

[setravis]

Quest Diagnostics Beats Consensus Estimate
04/21/09 - 02:24 PM EDT


Quest Diagnostics(DGX Quote) reported on April 21, 2009 that its Q1 FY09 earnings increased 19.7% to $167.10 million or $0.88 per share from $139.60 million or $0.71 per share in Q1 FY08 on higher revenue. Income from continuing operations climbed 20.0% to $177.40 million or $0.89 per share, which beat the most recent consensus estimate of $0.82 per share.

Total revenue grew 1.3% to $1.81 billion from $1.78 billion in Q1 FY08. Clinical testing revenue, which accounted for over 90.0% of total revenue, increased 2.2% year-over-year. Revenue per requisition increased 4.1%, driven by a positive mix, while clinical testing volume, a measure of the number of requisitions, decreased 1.9%. Drugs of abuse testing volume, which is sensitive to hiring trends, declined 25.0% and cut clinical testing volume by 1.7%. The cost of services dipped 0.5% to $1.05 billion and selling, general, and administrative costs inched down 2.5% to $424.30 million.

DGX's ClariSure Postnatal Molecular test received clinical laboratory approval from New York State. The company announced an end-user license agreement (EULA) with Nanogen, a developer of molecular and rapid diagnostic products, for MGB Probe technology in human in vitro diagnostic testing. Quest Diagnostics entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement for biomarker mGSTP1 with Epigenomics AG, a cancer molecular diagnostics company.

The company raised its FY09 estimated earnings per diluted share from continuing operations to range between $3.65 and $3.75 from its previous guidance of $3.50 to $3.70. The company expects revenue to grow approximately 3.0% and operating income to be approximately 18.0% of revenue.