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DGX vs. HCA: Quest Diagnostics vs. HCA Healthcare Stock Comparison

How do Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA) both belong to the Health Care Providers & Services industry, though DGX is classified under Health Care Services while HCA falls under Health Care Facilities.

Company profile comparison for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Profile ItemDGXHCA
NameQuest Diagnostics IncorporatedHCA Healthcare, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupHealth Care Equipment & ServicesHealth Care Equipment & Services
GICS IndustryHealth Care Providers & ServicesHealth Care Providers & Services
GICS Sub-IndustryHealth Care ServicesHealth Care Facilities
Market Capitalization28.21 billion USD103.40 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateDecember 17, 1996March 10, 2011
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

DGX
HCA
GSPC
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
Total Return (1Y)45.88%6.56%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)27.45%31.39%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)14.84%16.40%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

DGX
HCA
GSPC
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)24.06%32.89%
Beta (5Y)0.541.07
Max Drawdown (5Y)-28.62%-39.49%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.00M1.35M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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DGX and HCA are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.730.07
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.160.11

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Quest Diagnostics (DGX) earns 15.32% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; HCA Healthcare (HCA) has no ROE this period.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

15.32%

Max
47.61%
DGX
15.32%
Q3
14.36%
Median
5.45%
Q1
-10.67%
Min
-47.01%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

--

Max
47.61%
Q3
14.36%
Median
5.45%
Q1
-10.67%
Min
-47.01%
HCA
--
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): HCA does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; DGX is benchmarked against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 9.54% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 8.61%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

9.54%

Max
29.35%
DGX
9.54%
Q3
9.33%
Median
2.18%
Q1
-6.29%
Min
-28.46%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

8.61%

Max
29.35%
Q3
9.33%
HCA
8.61%
Median
2.18%
Q1
-6.29%
Min
-28.46%
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 15.63% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 14.83% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

15.63%

Max
35.43%
DGX
15.63%
Q3
14.14%
Median
6.81%
Q1
-0.28%
Min
-16.29%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

14.83%

Max
35.43%
HCA
14.83%
Q3
14.14%
Median
6.81%
Q1
-0.28%
Min
-16.29%
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
ROE (TTM)15.32%--
ROA (TTM)6.61%12.23%
Net Margin (TTM)9.54%8.61%
Operating Margin (TTM)15.63%14.83%
Gross Margin (TTM)33.18%42.76%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 11.78% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 7.08% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 28.77% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 13.78% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for HCA.

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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
Revenue Growth (YoY)11.78%7.08%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)3.74%7.87%
EPS Growth (YoY)13.78%28.77%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)3.16%13.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 1.70 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 0.82 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for HCA.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.70

Max
7.59
Q3
4.00
Median
1.98
DGX
1.70
Q1
1.37
Min
0.30

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.82

Max
7.59
Q3
4.00
Median
1.98
Q1
1.37
HCA
0.82
Min
0.30
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their current ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Quest Diagnostics (DGX) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80 against its industry range, while HCA Healthcare (HCA) reports no figure this period.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.80

Max
1.88
Q3
0.91
DGX
0.80
Median
0.58
Q1
0.16
Min
0.00

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

--

Max
1.88
Q3
0.91
Median
0.58
Q1
0.16
Min
0.00
HCA
--
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): HCA does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; DGX is benchmarked against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.700.82
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.80--
Net Debt / EBITDA2.383.26

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 1.33% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 0.60% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.33%

DGX
1.33%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.60%

HCA
0.60%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 25.10% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 10.15% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

25.10%

DGX
25.10%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

10.15%

HCA
10.15%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.33%0.60%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)25.10%10.15%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 16.42 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 25.46 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for HCA, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

25.46

Max
80.41
Q3
47.62
Median
29.93
DGX
25.46
Q1
21.19
Min
4.21

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

16.42

Max
80.41
Q3
47.62
Median
29.93
Q1
21.19
HCA
16.42
Min
4.21
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Quest Diagnostics (DGX) at 2.38 and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 1.31 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.38

Max
8.80
Q3
4.32
DGX
2.38
Median
2.13
Q1
1.10
Min
0.03

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.31

Max
8.80
Q3
4.32
Median
2.13
HCA
1.31
Q1
1.10
Min
0.03
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

HCA Healthcare (HCA) reports a negative P/B ratio of -12.92, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Quest Diagnostics (DGX) reports 3.68, ranking against industry peers normally.

DGX

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.68

Max
11.68
Q3
6.12
DGX
3.68
Median
3.00
Q1
1.73
Min
-1.31

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

-12.92

Max
11.68
Q3
6.12
Median
3.00
Q1
1.73
Min
-1.31
HCA
-12.92
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Quest Diagnostics (DGX) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
MetricDGXHCA
P/E Ratio (TTM)25.4616.42
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.381.31
P/B Ratio (MRQ)3.68-12.92
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.09%3.81%