5 Stocks Pushing The Health Services Industry Lower

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

All three major indices are trading down today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading down 21 points (-0.2%) at 12,999 as of Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, 11:49 AM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,281 issues advancing vs. 1,584 declining with 138 unchanged.

The Health Services industry currently sits down 0.3% versus the S&P 500, which is down 0.2%. On the negative front, top decliners within the industry include Health Management Associates (HMA), down 2.7%, Brookdale Senior Living (BKD), down 1.6%, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), down 1.1% and DaVita HealthCare Partners (DVA), down 0.8%. A company within the industry that increased today was Fresenius Medical Care Corporation (FMS), up 1.1%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the industry lower today:

5. Quest Diagnostics (DGX) is one of the companies pushing the Health Services industry lower today. As of noon trading, Quest Diagnostics is down $0.50 (-0.9%) to $57.61 on average volume Thus far, 370,848 shares of Quest Diagnostics exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 800,500 shares. The stock has ranged in price between $57.46-$58.22 after having opened the day at $58.01 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $58.11.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. Quest Diagnostics has a market cap of $9.1 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 13.4, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 0.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there is 1 analyst that rates Quest Diagnostics a buy, 1 analyst rates it a sell, and 13 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Quest Diagnostics as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its notable return on equity, good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. Get the full Quest Diagnostics Ratings Report now.

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