Maximus (NYSE:MMS) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research has upgraded Maximus (NYSE:MMS) from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating, reflecting positive analyst sentiment.
• Maximus reported $2.16 earnings per share for its latest quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.39 and showing a 2.5% increase in revenue compared to the same quarter last year.
• Institutional investors have shown increased interest in Maximus, with major firms like Mackenzie Financial Corp and Dimensional Fund Advisors significantly boosting their holdings in recent quarters.

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Maximus (NYSE:MMS - Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Maximus from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Strong Buy" and an average price target of $90.00.

Maximus Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE MMS traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $88.06. The company's stock had a trading volume of 434,573 shares, compared to its average volume of 677,149. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.70. The stock has a market cap of $4.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.22 and a beta of 0.61. Maximus has a 52 week low of $63.77 and a 52 week high of $93.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 2.27 and a quick ratio of 2.27.

Maximus (NYSE:MMS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The health services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.77. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. Maximus had a net margin of 5.83% and a return on equity of 24.44%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.74 EPS. Maximus has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.350-7.550 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Maximus will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Maximus Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Maximus's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.10%.

Institutional Trading of Maximus

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Maximus during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $276,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Maximus by 67.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 732 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Maximus by 32.8% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,228 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of Maximus during the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,115,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Maximus by 70.5% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 10,145 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $692,000 after buying an additional 4,196 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.21% of the company's stock.

About Maximus

Maximus, Inc operates as a provider of government services in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: U.S. Federal Services, U.S. Services, and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers program eligibility support and enrollment; centralized multilingual customer contact centers, multichannel, and digital self-service options for enrollment; application assistance and independent health plan choice counseling; beneficiary outreach, education, eligibility, enrollment, and redeterminations; and person-centered independent disability, long-term sick, and other health assessments.