Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

MOH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $146.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $248.00 to $218.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $163.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Mizuho set a $215.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Molina Healthcare from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.38.

Molina Healthcare Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of MOH stock opened at $197.64 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $206.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $177.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.30 billion, a P/E ratio of -1,097.94 and a beta of 0.74. Molina Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $121.06 and a fifty-two week high of $244.89.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.12. Molina Healthcare had a negative net margin of 0.02% and a positive return on equity of 3.73%. The company had revenue of $10.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.48 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Molina Healthcare will post 5.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Molina Healthcare

In related news, CAO Maurice Hebert sold 600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total value of $114,930.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,454,713.25. This represents a 4.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Jeff D. Barlow sold 17,811 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.12, for a total transaction of $3,314,983.32. Following the sale, the insider owned 67,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,502,611. The trade was a 20.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MOH. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 217.0% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,934,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $561,475,000 after buying an additional 2,008,458 shares during the period. 8 Knots Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $198,942,000. Maverick Capital Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $86,081,000. Madison Avenue Partners LP acquired a new position in Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $110,003,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $109,766,000. 98.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Molina Healthcare News

Here are the key news stories impacting Molina Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Molina Healthcare beat Q2 earnings expectations with EPS of $1.51, and lower operating expenses helped offset weaker premium revenue and softer investment income. The company also raised its 2026 EPS outlook, which supports the long-term earnings case. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see some upside from current levels despite recent weakness, with Truist and RBC both saying the stock could rise into the low-to-mid $200s. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s consensus recommendation remains “Hold,” suggesting analysts are not turning bullish yet, but are also not broadly negative on the name. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and membership trends remain a concern, and multiple reports said investors were disappointed by weaker premium revenue and softer guidance even after the earnings beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction has been negative because Molina warned about a smaller Obamacare footprint and ongoing pressure in its Medicaid/ACA businesses, which outweighed the earnings beat. Article Title

Molina Healthcare Company Profile

Molina Healthcare, Inc is a managed care company specializing in government-sponsored health insurance programs. The company offers Medicaid managed care plans, Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, and individual Marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act. Through an integrated care model, Molina emphasizes preventive and primary care services, care coordination, and disease management to improve health outcomes for its members.

The company traces its roots to the early 1980s, when Dr.