Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 193,554 Shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc $MOH

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in Molina Healthcare by 333.4% in the first quarter, adding 193,554 shares to reach 251,607 shares valued at about $33.5 million.
• Several other hedge funds also boosted or initiated positions, and institutional investors now own 98.50% of Molina Healthcare’s stock.
• Analysts remain cautious overall: the stock has a consensus Hold rating with a $207.06 average price target, even as the shares recently traded at $225.66 and the company posted stronger-than-expected quarterly EPS.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH - Free Report) by 333.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 251,607 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 193,554 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.48% of Molina Healthcare worth $33,539,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 1,250.0% in the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 216 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 211.9% in the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 184 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Molina Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in Molina Healthcare by 504.9% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 248 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. 98.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jeff D. Barlow sold 17,811 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.12, for a total value of $3,314,983.32. Following the sale, the insider owned 67,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,502,611. The trade was a 20.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Maurice Hebert sold 600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total transaction of $114,930.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,815 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,454,713.25. The trade was a 4.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.44% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MOH shares. Weiss Ratings raised Molina Healthcare from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Barclays cut their target price on Molina Healthcare from $199.00 to $184.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Molina Healthcare from $124.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised Molina Healthcare from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $286.00 price target on Molina Healthcare in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $207.06.

Molina Healthcare Price Performance

NYSE:MOH opened at $225.66 on Monday. The business's 50-day moving average is $203.43 and its 200 day moving average is $175.58. Molina Healthcare, Inc has a 12 month low of $121.06 and a 12 month high of $244.89. The company has a market capitalization of $11.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 66.76 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.78. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 8.76% and a net margin of 0.42%.The business had revenue of $10.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.08 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Molina Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000- EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare, Inc will post 5.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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