Natixis Advisors LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its ownership in Molina Healthcare by 17.5%, acquiring an additional 5,238 shares, bringing its total to 35,166 shares valued at approximately $11.58 million.
• Molina Healthcare reported a net margin of 2.60% and a quarter revenue of $11.43 billion, exceeding analyst expectations despite earnings per share of $5.48, which was slightly below forecasts.
• Recent analyst ratings have downgraded Molina Healthcare, with multiple brokerages setting price targets significantly lower, the highest being $184.00 from JPMorgan Chase, down from previous targets exceeding $270.

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH - Free Report) by 17.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,166 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,238 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.06% of Molina Healthcare worth $11,583,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MOH. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 126.3% during the 1st quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 86 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its stake in 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 period. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 60.7% during the 1st quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 90 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated bought a new stake in Molina Healthcare during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC bought a new stake in Molina Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors own 98.50% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Molina Healthcare

In other news, COO James Woys bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $155.94 per share, for a total transaction of $1,559,400.00. Following the acquisition, the chief operating officer owned 74,331 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,591,176.14. This represents a 15.54% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on MOH shares. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $260.00 to $180.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Molina Healthcare from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 29th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $270.00 to $186.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $210.00 price objective (down previously from $312.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (down previously from $335.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $244.55.

Molina Healthcare Trading Up 2.1%

MOH traded up $3.12 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $155.43. 848,001 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 953,918. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $242.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $288.85. Molina Healthcare, Inc has a 52-week low of $151.95 and a 52-week high of $365.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.42 billion, a PE ratio of 7.67 and a beta of 0.52.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The company reported $5.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.50 by ($0.02). Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 27.72% and a net margin of 2.60%. The firm had revenue of $11.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.86 earnings per share. Molina Healthcare's quarterly revenue was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Molina Healthcare, Inc will post 24.4 EPS for the current fiscal 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.