Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Upgraded to “Buy” at StockNews.com

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Molina Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $295.00 to $372.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price target (down previously from $378.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $345.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Molina Healthcare from $382.00 to $376.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $355.69.

Molina Healthcare Price Performance

NYSE:MOH traded up $13.45 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $323.98. 534,473 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 614,557. Molina Healthcare has a twelve month low of $262.32 and a twelve month high of $423.92. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $300.69 and its 200-day moving average is $308.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $17.72 billion, a PE ratio of 15.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.56.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.74 by ($0.69). Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 28.13% and a net margin of 2.90%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total transaction of $301,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 17,375 shares in the company, valued at $5,235,608.75. This represents a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Colonial Trust Co SC increased its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 930.0% during the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 2,500.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Molina Healthcare by 83.1% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Molina Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. 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.