Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Coverage Initiated at The Goldman Sachs Group

Key Points

• The Goldman Sachs Group has initiated coverage on Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) with a "neutral" rating and a price target of $207.00, suggesting a potential upside of 6.40% from the previous close.
• Molina Healthcare's stock has seen mixed ratings from analysts, with an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $223.75.
• In recent insider activity, COO James Woys purchased 10,000 shares at $155.94, indicating confidence in the company's future performance despite mixed analyst sentiments.

Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm set a "neutral" rating and a $207.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group's price target would indicate a potential upside of 6.40% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on MOH. Wall Street Zen lowered Molina Healthcare from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 29th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Molina Healthcare from $373.00 to $179.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on Molina Healthcare from $284.00 to $220.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Barclays decreased their price target on Molina Healthcare from $186.00 to $185.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $210.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $223.75.

Molina Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of MOH opened at $194.55 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $10.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.59 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $179.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $247.03. Molina Healthcare has a 1 year low of $151.95 and a 1 year high of $359.97.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 price of $155.94 per share, with a total value of $1,559,400.00. Following the acquisition, the chief operating officer directly owned 74,331 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,591,176.14. This trade represents a 15.54% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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 value of $107,618.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 17,131 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,633,719.94. The trade was a 3.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Elequin Capital LP boosted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 170.6% during the 1st quarter. Elequin Capital LP now owns 92 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 2,140.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 112 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated bought a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.50% of the company's stock.

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.