Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Sell"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Molina Healthcare from “hold” to “sell,” adding to mixed analyst sentiment. Overall, three analysts rate the stock a Buy, 12 a Hold, and two a Sell, with an average target price of $202.44.
• MOH opened at $200.03, below its 50-day moving average of $211.49 but above its 200-day average of $179.63. The stock has traded between $121.06 and $244.89 over the past year.
• Molina exceeded quarterly expectations with earnings of $1.51 per share versus the $1.39 estimate and revenue of $10.87 billion, though revenue declined 4.8% year over year and the company posted a slightly negative net margin.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also commented on MOH. Weiss Ratings lowered Molina Healthcare from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research lowered Molina Healthcare from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research report on Friday, July 24th. TD Cowen raised their price target 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. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $286.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $202.44.

Molina Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of MOH opened at $200.03 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $211.49 and a 200-day moving average price of $179.63. Molina Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $121.06 and a fifty-two week high of $244.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.44 billion, a PE ratio of -1,111.22, a PEG ratio of 28.48 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $10.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.83 billion. Molina Healthcare had a negative net margin of 0.02% and a positive return on equity of 3.73%. Molina Healthcare's revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.48 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Molina Healthcare will post 5.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MOH. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 23,008.3% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 13,816,682 shares of the company's stock worth $3,159,875,000 after buying an additional 13,756,891 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,503,052,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 2,008,458 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,171,433 shares of the company's stock worth $376,831,000 after acquiring an additional 201,772 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,690,981 shares of the company's stock worth $293,453,000 after acquiring an additional 329,679 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.50% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source