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

Key Points

• Molina Healthcare has received a consensus rating of "Hold" from thirteen analysts, with an average twelve-month target price of $225.18.
• Recent analyst downgrades have led to significant reductions in price targets, with Morgan Stanley lowering its estimate from $364.00 to $266.00.
• The company reported quarterly earnings of $5.48 per share, slightly missing analysts' expectations of $5.50, while revenue was up 15.7% compared to the previous year.

Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Hold" from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $225.1818.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley cut Molina Healthcare from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $364.00 to $266.00 in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $373.00 to $179.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Molina Healthcare from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, June 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $284.00 to $220.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down previously from $335.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Friday, July 25th.

Molina Healthcare Stock Performance

NYSE MOH opened at $192.35 on Friday. Molina Healthcare has a twelve month low of $151.95 and a twelve month high of $359.97. 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 stock has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.48 and a beta of 0.54. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $172.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $257.30.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 23rd. The company reported $5.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.50 by ($0.02). Molina Healthcare had a net margin of 2.60% and a return on equity of 27.72%. The company had revenue of $11.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.86 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Molina Healthcare

In other Molina Healthcare news, COO James Woys bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $155.94 per share, for a total transaction of $1,559,400.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief operating officer owned 74,331 shares in the company, valued at $11,591,176.14. This represents a 15.54% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ronna Romney sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.74, for a total transaction of $107,618.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,131 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,633,719.94. This trade represents a 3.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its position in Molina Healthcare by 126.3% in the 1st quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 86 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in Molina Healthcare in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 60.7% in the 1st quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 90 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Elequin Capital LP raised its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 170.6% during the first quarter. Elequin Capital LP now owns 92 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated acquired a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare during the first quarter valued at $34,000. 98.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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