DGX vs. MDT: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at DGX and MDT, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | DGX | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | Medtronic plc |
| Country | United States | Ireland |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Providers & Services | Health Care Equipment & Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 21.13 billion USD | 121.61 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 17, 1996 | May 2, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of DGX and MDT by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | -1.79% | -0.52% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 1.53% | 9.26% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 9.68% | 7.95% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 17.28% | 6.63% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -4.47% | 2.62% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 20.69% | 19.23% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.89M | 8.43M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.94M | 7.69M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 24.64% | 17.95% |
| Beta | 0.64 | 0.80 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
DGX
13.70%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 24.86%
- Q3
- 15.79%
- Median
- 8.56%
- Q1
- 5.75%
- Min
- -1.64%
DGX’s Return on Equity of 13.70% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
MDT
9.62%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 29.93%
- Q3
- 16.99%
- Median
- 9.28%
- Q1
- 5.10%
- Min
- -12.52%
MDT’s Return on Equity of 9.62% is on par with the norm for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
DGX
9.03%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 11.56%
- Q3
- 5.45%
- Median
- 2.83%
- Q1
- 1.13%
- Min
- -1.71%
A Net Profit Margin of 9.03% places DGX in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
MDT
13.63%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.41%
- Q3
- 13.71%
- Median
- 10.08%
- Q1
- 5.96%
- Min
- -5.58%
MDT’s Net Profit Margin of 13.63% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
DGX
14.02%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 19.08%
- Q3
- 9.66%
- Median
- 4.77%
- Q1
- 2.46%
- Min
- -0.83%
An Operating Profit Margin of 14.02% places DGX in the upper quartile for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
MDT
17.90%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.09%
- Q3
- 18.11%
- Median
- 15.07%
- Q1
- 8.48%
- Min
- -0.28%
MDT’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.90% is around the midpoint for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.70% | 9.62% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 5.94% | 5.16% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 9.03% | 13.63% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.02% | 17.90% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.23% | 65.40% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
1.09
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.00
- Q3
- 1.51
- Median
- 1.29
- Q1
- 0.92
- Min
- 0.14
DGX’s Current Ratio of 1.09 aligns with the median group of the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
MDT
1.85
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 5.19
- Q3
- 3.00
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.86
MDT’s Current Ratio of 1.85 aligns with the median group of the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
0.78
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 2.29
- Q3
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.00
DGX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.78 is typical for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
MDT
0.59
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.61
- Q3
- 0.76
- Median
- 0.45
- Q1
- 0.14
- Min
- 0.00
MDT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.59 is typical for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
DGX
7.42
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 7.50
- Median
- 4.52
- Q1
- 2.12
- Min
- -4.44
DGX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.42 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
MDT
10.20
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 56.35
- Q3
- 25.56
- Median
- 9.60
- Q1
- 3.78
- Min
- -26.49
MDT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 10.20 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.09 | 1.85 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 1.42 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.78 | 0.59 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.42 | 10.20 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
DGX
1.67%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 5.93%
- Q3
- 2.59%
- Median
- 1.35%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DGX’s Dividend Yield of 1.67% is consistent with its peers in the Health Care Providers & Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
MDT
2.95%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.15%
- Q3
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.95%, MDT offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
DGX
36.00%
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 185.33%
- Q3
- 74.82%
- Median
- 36.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DGX’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.00% is within the typical range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
MDT
77.27%
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 160.00%
- Q3
- 66.60%
- Median
- 27.49%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MDT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 77.27% is in the upper quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.67% | 2.95% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 36.00% | 77.27% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
DGX
21.61
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 40.02
- Q3
- 29.75
- Median
- 21.09
- Q1
- 14.18
- Min
- 7.05
DGX’s P/E Ratio of 21.61 is within the middle range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
MDT
26.23
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 67.29
- Q3
- 47.01
- Median
- 30.94
- Q1
- 23.91
- Min
- 10.79
MDT’s P/E Ratio of 26.23 is within the middle range for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
DGX
1.95
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 3.15
- Q3
- 1.87
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.09
DGX’s P/S Ratio of 1.95 is in the upper echelon for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
MDT
3.57
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 9.49
- Q3
- 5.41
- Median
- 2.86
- Q1
- 2.07
- Min
- 0.74
MDT’s P/S Ratio of 3.57 aligns with the market consensus for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
DGX
2.77
Health Care Providers & Services Industry
- Max
- 7.33
- Q3
- 4.45
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 0.66
DGX’s P/B Ratio of 2.77 is within the conventional range for the Health Care Providers & Services industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
MDT
2.25
Health Care Equipment & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 10.85
- Q3
- 6.56
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 2.36
- Min
- 0.71
MDT’s P/B Ratio of 2.25 is in the lower quartile for the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | DGX | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 21.61 | 26.23 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 1.95 | 3.57 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 2.77 | 2.25 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 16.77 | 23.05 |