Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Shares Climb 5% – Time to Buy?

Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH) shot up 5% during mid-day trading on Monday. The company traded as high as $206.30 and last traded at $206.68. Approximately 327,528 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 1,294,201 shares. The stock had previously closed at $196.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MOH has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Molina Healthcare from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $230.00 target price on Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Molina Healthcare from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $163.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $286.00 price objective on Molina Healthcare in a report on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $202.44.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 3.9%

The firm has a market cap of $10.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,138.34, a PEG ratio of 28.22 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $198.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $191.32.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $10.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.83 billion. Molina Healthcare had a positive return on equity of 3.73% and a negative net margin of 0.02%. Molina Healthcare’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.48 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare, Inc will post 5.29 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. ARGA Investment Management LP grew its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 1.4% in the first quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 4,166 shares of the company’s stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 1,918 shares of the company’s stock valued at $375,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 118.2% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 64.5% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, LifeGoal Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 7.2% during the third quarter. LifeGoal Investments LLC now owns 1,585 shares of the company’s stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.50% of the company’s stock.

Molina Healthcare Company Profile

Molina Healthcare, Inc is a managed-care company that provides health insurance and related healthcare services primarily to individuals and families who receive coverage through government-sponsored programs. Its main lines of business include Medicaid, Medicare, and health plans offered through government marketplaces.

The company works with state and federal agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations to coordinate care for members, including low-income adults and children, seniors, and people with disabilities or complex medical needs.