StockNews.com Upgrades Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) to Buy

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Guggenheim started coverage on Molina Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $370.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $345.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $376.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $350.75.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of MOH opened at $343.13 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $309.80 and its 200 day moving average is $308.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Molina Healthcare has a 12-month low of $262.32 and a 12-month high of $379.07. The company has a market capitalization of $18.77 billion, a PE ratio of 16.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.70.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.74 by ($0.69). Molina Healthcare had a net margin of 2.90% and a return on equity of 28.13%. Research analysts expect that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Molina Healthcare

In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total transaction of $301,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,235,608.75. This represents a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tributary Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 76.1% in the 4th quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 4,190 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,219,000 after purchasing an additional 1,811 shares in the last quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at about $544,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 123.9% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 347 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. SYM FINANCIAL Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth about $249,000. Finally, Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare during the third quarter valued at about $2,947,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.50% of the company’s stock.

About Molina Healthcare

Molina Healthcare, Inc provides managed healthcare services to low-income families and individuals under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. It operates in four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, and Other. The company served in across 19 states. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Long Beach, California.