Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH) Short Interest Update

Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 1,720,000 shares, a growth of 22.9% from the February 13th total of 1,400,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 727,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MOH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays cut their price target on Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $345.00 price target on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price target (down from $378.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. UBS Group cut their target price on Molina Healthcare from $374.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Molina Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $295.00 to $372.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Molina Healthcare presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $355.69.

Insider Buying and Selling at Molina Healthcare

In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total transaction of $301,330.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,235,608.75. This represents a 5.44 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Colonial Trust Co SC increased its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 930.0% during the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 2,500.0% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 83.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. 98.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:MOH traded up $1.00 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $316.97. 401,024 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 607,262. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $298.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $309.90. Molina Healthcare has a one year low of $262.32 and a one year high of $423.92. The company has a market cap of $17.59 billion, a PE ratio of 15.51, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.56.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts predict that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share 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.