Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on MOH. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $345.00 price target on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Molina Healthcare from $374.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $376.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (down previously from $378.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $355.75.

Molina Healthcare Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE MOH opened at $345.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.70. Molina Healthcare has a 12 month low of $262.32 and a 12 month high of $378.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $310.39 and a 200-day moving average of $308.18.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.74 by ($0.69). Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 28.13% and a net margin of 2.90%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Molina Healthcare

In other news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total transaction of $301,330.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,235,608.75. This trade represents a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MOH. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 126.3% during the first quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 86 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC grew 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 buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 83.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 163 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC acquired a new position in Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 98.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Molina Healthcare

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.