Zacks Research Downgrades Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) to Hold

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Aveanna Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $11.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Aveanna Healthcare from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. William Blair started coverage on Aveanna Healthcare in a report on Monday, December 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.50 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Aveanna Healthcare from $9.50 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $11.06.

Aveanna Healthcare Stock Down 7.3%

Aveanna Healthcare stock opened at $7.84 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $8.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $8.18. Aveanna Healthcare has a twelve month low of $3.67 and a twelve month high of $10.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.78 and a beta of 2.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.39.

Aveanna Healthcare (NASDAQ:AVAH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.08. Aveanna Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 143.55% and a net margin of 3.29%.The business had revenue of $621.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $578.57 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Aveanna Healthcare will post -0.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Aveanna Healthcare

In other Aveanna Healthcare news, insider Patrick A. Cunningham sold 12,445 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total value of $97,693.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 293,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,302,828.90. This trade represents a 4.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Matthew Buckhalter sold 18,340 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total value of $143,969.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 436,980 shares in the company, valued at $3,430,293. This trade represents a 4.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 259,638 shares of company stock valued at $2,109,595. 7.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Aveanna Healthcare

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Aveanna Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in Aveanna Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at about $59,000. Belvedere Trading LLC purchased a new position in Aveanna Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at about $62,000. Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in Aveanna Healthcare during the second quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Aveanna Healthcare during the second quarter worth about $68,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.96% of the company’s stock.

About Aveanna Healthcare

Aveanna Healthcare, Inc (NASDAQ: AVAH) is a national provider of in-home health care services, specializing in pediatric skilled nursing, therapy, and related support for medically complex and chronically ill children. The company delivers a range of clinical and therapeutic solutions designed to enable patients to receive care in the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need for hospital stays and long-term institutional care. Aveanna’s offerings include registered nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, behavioral health counseling, and durable medical equipment coordination.

In addition to pediatric home health services, Aveanna operates adult home health and personal care support programs, assisting elderly and disabled adults with daily living activities, medication management, and rehabilitation therapies.