5 Stocks Pushing The Health Services Industry Higher

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 up today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading up 62 points (0.4%) at 14,518 as of Thursday, March 14, 2013, 12:50 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,808 issues advancing vs. 1,087 declining with 143 unchanged.

The Health Services industry currently sits up 0.3% versus the S&P 500, which is up 0.5%. Top gainers within the industry include Health Management Associates (HMA), up 3.2%, Community Health Systems (CYH), up 2.4%, Smith & Nephew (SNN), up 2.5%, Fresenius Medical Care Corporation (FMS), up 1.1% and DaVita HealthCare Partners (DVA), up 0.9%. A company within the industry that fell today was Edwards Life (EW), up 1.2%.

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

5. Quest Diagnostics (DGX) is one of the companies pushing the Health Services industry higher today. As of noon trading, Quest Diagnostics is up $0.68 (1.2%) to $56.66 on average volume Thus far, 607,869 shares of Quest Diagnostics exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.3 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $55.85-$56.73 after having opened the day at $56.13 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $55.99.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing information services in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two businesses, Diagnostic Information Services and Diagnostic Solutions. Quest Diagnostics has a market cap of $8.9 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.3, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 3.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there is 1 analyst that rates Quest Diagnostics a buy, 2 analysts rate it a sell, and 14 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 and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. 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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