Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $364.21.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Molina Healthcare in a research note on Monday, June 9th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $364.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Molina Healthcare from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 21st. Guggenheim assumed coverage on Molina Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised Molina Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $295.00 to $372.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $376.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Richard M. Schapiro sold 669 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.50, for a total transaction of $214,414.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,603,702. This trade represents a 5.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Joseph M. Zubretsky sold 87,500 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.06, for a total value of $28,005,250.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 257,715 shares in the company, valued at $82,484,262.90. This represents a 25.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 126.3% during the 1st quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 86 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in Molina Healthcare during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 60.7% during the 1st quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 90 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP increased its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 170.6% during the 1st quarter. Elequin Capital LP now owns 92 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC increased its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 930.0% during the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. 98.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Molina Healthcare Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MOH opened at $293.92 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $308.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $306.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Molina Healthcare has a 12-month low of $262.32 and a 12-month high of $365.23. The firm has a market cap of $15.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.19, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.56.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $6.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.96 by $0.12. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 28.38% and a net margin of 2.81%. The firm had revenue of $11.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.86 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.73 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 EPS for the current year.

Molina Healthcare Company Profile

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.