Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH) has received an average analyst rating of "Hold" from thirteen research firms, with ten analysts recommending hold and three suggesting buy.
• The company's stock price target has been significantly revised, with Cantor Fitzgerald reducing it from $312.00 to $210.00, while Wells Fargo cut their target from $372.00 to $216.00.
• Molina Healthcare reported $5.48 earnings per share for the last quarter, missing estimates by ($0.02), but achieved a 15.7% increase in revenue year-over-year.

Shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Hold" from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $244.5455.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MOH. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $210.00 price objective (down previously from $312.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Friday, July 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Molina Healthcare from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 29th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $216.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Molina Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $414.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Baird R W lowered Molina Healthcare from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of MOH opened at $156.73 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 1.66. Molina Healthcare has a 52 week low of $151.95 and a 52 week high of $365.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.72 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $239.73 and a 200-day moving average of $287.96.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The company reported $5.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $10.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $5.86 EPS. Molina Healthcare's revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO James Woys acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $155.94 per share, for a total transaction of $1,559,400.00. Following the purchase, the chief operating officer directly owned 74,331 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,591,176.14. The trade was a 15.54% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MOH. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 126.3% in the first quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 86 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in Molina Healthcare during the first quarter worth $29,000. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 930.0% during the fourth quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 103 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 60.7% in the first quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 90 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elequin Capital LP grew its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 170.6% during the first quarter. Elequin Capital LP now owns 92 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. 98.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Molina Healthcare

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.