Maximus (NYSE:MMS) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Maximus (NYSE:MMS) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Maximus in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Maximus Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE:MMS opened at $86.32 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $4.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.53 and a beta of 0.56. Maximus has a 12-month low of $63.77 and a 12-month high of $92.50. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $84.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $82.22.

Maximus (NYSE:MMS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The health services provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.01). Maximus had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 25.23%. The business had revenue of $1.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.46 EPS. Maximus’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Maximus has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.950-8.250 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Maximus will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Maximus Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. Maximus’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 4,039 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.84, for a total transaction of $350,746.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 19,542 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,697,027.28. The trade was a 17.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Maximus

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Maximus by 123.1% during the 3rd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 348 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in Maximus in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Maximus in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Maximus during the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in Maximus during the 3rd quarter worth about $55,000. 97.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Maximus

Maximus, Inc (NYSE: MMS) is a global provider of government services focused on delivering health and human services programs. The company partners with federal, state, and local agencies to administer and manage programs that support individuals and families across various stages of life. Key service areas include eligibility determination and enrollment services for Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other public assistance programs, as well as call center operations, case management and program integrity solutions.