Quest Diagnostics Inc vs Hormel Foods Corp — how do they compare? Quest Diagnostics Inc trades at $204.5 (market cap $22.80B), while Hormel Foods Corp trades at $25.37 (market cap $13.65B). The key difference: Quest Diagnostics Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays the higher dividend (4.72%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DGX | HRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $22.80B | $13.65B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $216.02 | $29.91 |
52-Week Low | $166.42 | $19.74 |
Enterprise Value | $28.82B | $15.65B |
Dividend Yield | 1.67% | 4.72% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) trades at $207.35, showing minimal daily movement with a slight decline of 0.04%. The stock maintains a bullish technical stance with recent earnings beats and analyst consensus pointing to upside potential. Recent developments include New York State approval for Haystack MRD testing and strong momentum across diagnostic channels. Revenue growth accelerated to $11.04 billion in 2025 with consistent profitability margins around 9%.
DGX presents a balanced investment case with 38% analyst buy ratings and a $227.75 price target suggesting 10% upside. The company demonstrates steady revenue growth and operational efficiency, though elevated debt levels and policy risks require monitoring. Second quarter earnings on July 23, 2026, will be crucial for validating current momentum and growth trajectory.
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $24.46, down 1.11% on the day, with a neutral technical outlook and mixed analyst sentiment. The company has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters, though net income margin has compressed to 3.82% in 2025 from 6.75% in 2024. Recent strategic moves include the sale of its Brazilian Ceratti operations to focus on higher-growth markets, while maintaining its Dividend King status with 60 consecutive years of dividend increases.
The stock presents a value opportunity with a P/E of 28.78 and consensus price target of $26.33 (7.6% upside), but faces margin pressure from input cost inflation and competitive headwinds. The dividend yield of approximately 4.7% provides income support, though earnings stabilization remains key for sustained recovery from multi-year lows.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Quest Diagnostics is a leading independent provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services in the U.S. The company generates over 95% of its revenue through clinical testing, anatomic pathology, esoteric testing, and substance abuse testing with specimens collected at its national network of roughly 2,300 patient service centers, as well as multiple doctors offices and hospitals. The firm also runs a much smaller diagnostic solutions segment that provides clinical trials testing, risk assessment services, and information technology solutions.
Read more on DGX →Hormel Foods is a protein-focused branded food company. Its brands include its namesake Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Applegate, Wholly Guacamole, and Skippy. The vast majority of the company's revenue is U.S.-based: 64% U.S. retail, 28% U.S. food service, and 8% international. By product type, in fiscal 2021, 23% of revenue was shelf-stable foods, 18% was poultry (branded and commodity), 55% was other perishable food, and 3% was other, primarily nutritional products. The company holds the number-one market position in shelf-stable meat, shelf-stable ready meals, pepperoni, natural/organic deli meat, and guacamole and the number-two position in turkey, bacon, chilled ready meals, and peanut butter.
Read more on HRL →