Zacks Research Has Bearish Forecast for MOH FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered Molina Healthcare’s FY2026 EPS forecast to $5.27 from $5.28, below the $5.29 consensus estimate, while maintaining a “Hold” rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Molina has an average “Hold” rating from MarketBeat-tracked analysts, with 12 Holds, three Buys and two Sells, and an average price target of $202.44.
• Molina’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with $1.51 EPS versus the $1.39 consensus and $10.87 billion in revenue, although revenue declined 4.8% year over year.

Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research cut their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Molina Healthcare in a research note issued on Monday, August 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $5.27 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $5.28. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Molina Healthcare's current full-year earnings is $5.29 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Molina Healthcare's Q3 2027 earnings at $2.24 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.12 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.28 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $2.86 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on MOH. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $169.00 to $191.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Molina Healthcare from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $124.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $163.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $202.44.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Molina Healthcare stock opened at $199.79 on Wednesday. Molina Healthcare has a 1 year low of $121.06 and a 1 year high of $244.89. The firm has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,109.88, a PEG ratio of 28.44 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a 50-day moving average of $211.20 and a 200 day moving average of $178.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $10.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.83 billion. Molina Healthcare had a negative net margin of 0.02% and a positive return on equity of 3.73%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.48 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 13,756,891 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare in the second quarter valued at about $1,503,052,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 217.0% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,934,130 shares of the company's stock worth $561,475,000 after acquiring an additional 2,008,458 shares during the period. 8 Knots Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $198,942,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the second quarter worth about $152,339,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.50% of the company's stock.

More Molina Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2028 EPS forecast for Molina Healthcare to $12.22 from $11.94 and increased its Q2 2027 estimate to $2.39 from $2.22. The firm maintained a “Strong Buy” rating in those reports, signaling confidence in Molina’s longer-term earnings potential.
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks industry outlook identified Molina, along with UnitedHealth, Cigna, Humana and Centene, as positioned to benefit from steady premium inflows, an aging U.S. population, greater digitization, diversified membership and strategic mergers and acquisitions. Zacks Industry Outlook UnitedHealth, The Cigna, Humana, Centene and Molina
• Positive Sentiment: The broader HMO industry is expected to benefit from favorable demographic trends, ongoing digital transformation and resilient premium revenue, with Molina listed among the stocks to watch. 5 HMO Stocks to Watch Amid Steady Premium Flow, Increased Digitization
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ rating signals were mixed across reports: “Strong Buy” accompanied some longer-term forecasts, while other notes maintained a “Hold” rating. The current full-year consensus EPS estimate remains $5.29.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its FY2027 EPS forecast to $9.28 from $10.05, cut Q4 2027 EPS to $2.12 from $2.87, and reduced Q3 2027 EPS to $2.24 from $2.42.
• Negative Sentiment: Nearer-term estimates were also trimmed: FY2026 EPS fell to $5.27 from $5.28, and Q3 2026 EPS declined to $0.71 from $0.72. Zacks additionally reduced its Q2 2028 forecast to $2.14 from $2.30.

About Molina Healthcare

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.

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