Quest Diagnostics Inc vs Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Quest Diagnostics Inc trades at $237.51 (market cap $26.21B), while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $168.42. The key difference: Quest Diagnostics Inc pays a 1.45% dividend while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DGX | XLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.21B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $238.50 | $168.44 |
52-Week Low | $173.49 | $131.16 |
Enterprise Value | $31.97B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.45% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) trades at $237.99, up 0.15% on the day, near its 52-week high. The stock shows strong momentum with consecutive earnings beats in 2026, including Q2 EPS of $3.12 versus $2.82 expected. Revenue growth accelerated to $11.04 billion in 2025, with net income margin at 9.19%. Technical indicators signal a bullish trend, while analyst consensus is a $249.50 price target. Recent news highlights AI integration and raised 2026 outlook amid robust testing demand.
The outlook for DGX is positive, driven by earnings momentum, strategic partnerships, and healthcare demand. Investment opportunity lies in sustained growth and dividend yield, but risks include margin pressure from lower-margin deals and high debt levels. Valuation at a P/E of 25.21 requires continued execution to justify upside.
XLV, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $167.93, down 0.3% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. The ETF offers broad healthcare exposure with a low expense ratio of 0.08% and a trailing dividend yield of 1.6%, positioning it as a cost-effective defensive play amid market volatility. Recent news highlights strong sector inflows and defensive demand, with earnings from key holdings like UnitedHealth showing resilience despite Medicaid pressures.
The outlook for XLV is positive, supported by its defensive characteristics and institutional interest, though risks include regulatory pressures and sector-specific volatility. Investors may find value in its diversification and steady performance, but should monitor healthcare policy developments and earnings trends for sustained growth.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies from the following industries: pharmaceuticals; health care equipment & supplies; health care providers & services; biotechnology; life sciences tools & services; and health care technology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLV →