Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

AVAH has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $9.50 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. William Blair assumed coverage on Aveanna Healthcare in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Aveanna Healthcare in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $11.00 price target on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $11.06.

Aveanna Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of AVAH opened at $8.92 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.86 billion, a PE ratio of 24.78 and a beta of 2.06. Aveanna Healthcare has a 52-week low of $3.67 and a 52-week high of $10.32. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $8.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.39, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.23.

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $621.94 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $578.57 million. Aveanna Healthcare had a net margin of 3.29% and a negative return on equity of 143.55%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Aveanna Healthcare will post -0.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aveanna Healthcare

In related news, insider Patrick A. Cunningham sold 12,445 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total transaction of $97,693.25. Following the sale, the insider owned 293,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,302,828.90. This represents a 4.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Matthew Buckhalter sold 18,340 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total transaction of $143,969.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 436,980 shares in the company, valued at $3,430,293. This represents a 4.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 259,638 shares of company stock worth $2,109,595. Company insiders own 7.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AVAH. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in Aveanna Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at about $57,000. MQS Management LLC bought a new position in Aveanna Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $59,000. Belvedere Trading LLC bought a new position in Aveanna Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $62,000. Finally, Oxford Asset Management LLP bought a new position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the second quarter worth approximately $64,000. 87.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Aveanna Healthcare Company Profile

Aveanna Healthcare, Inc (NASDAQ: AVAH) is a national provider of in-home health care services, specializing in pediatric skilled nursing, therapy, and related support for medically complex and chronically ill children. The company delivers a range of clinical and therapeutic solutions designed to enable patients to receive care in the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need for hospital stays and long-term institutional care. Aveanna’s offerings include registered nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, behavioral health counseling, and durable medical equipment coordination.

In addition to pediatric home health services, Aveanna operates adult home health and personal care support programs, assisting elderly and disabled adults with daily living activities, medication management, and rehabilitation therapies.