Jefferies Financial Group Upgrades Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) to "Buy"

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $6.00 target price on the stock, down from their prior target price of $6.25. Jefferies Financial Group's target price indicates a potential upside of 51.52% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on AVAH. Truist Financial cut their price target on Aveanna Healthcare from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Aveanna Healthcare from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Aveanna Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $5.50 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $5.25.

Aveanna Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of Aveanna Healthcare stock opened at $3.96 on Monday. Aveanna Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $2.61 and a fifty-two week high of $6.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $5.02 and a 200 day moving average of $4.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $772.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 198.00 and a beta of 1.98.

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Robert M. Williams, Jr. sold 750,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.20, for a total transaction of $3,900,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 28,890,756 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $150,231,931.20. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Paul R. Vigano sold 750,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.20, for a total transaction of $3,900,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 28,890,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $150,231,931.20. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,115,345 shares of company stock worth $37,838,057. 7.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aveanna Healthcare

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Aveanna Healthcare by 662.2% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,889 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 6,854 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in Aveanna Healthcare during the 1st quarter valued at $59,000. 87.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Aveanna Healthcare Company Profile

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc, a diversified home care platform company, provides pediatric and adult healthcare services in the United States. Its patient-centered care delivery platform allows patients to remain in their homes and minimizes the overutilization of high-cost care settings, such as hospitals or skilled nursing facilities.

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