Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Earns Neutral Rating from Analysts at Guggenheim

Investment analysts at Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm set a “neutral” rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Molina Healthcare from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $376.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $345.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on Molina Healthcare from $374.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $350.75.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 0.2 %

Molina Healthcare stock traded up $0.57 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $331.23. The company had a trading volume of 112,405 shares, compared to its average volume of 739,190. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $308.30 and its 200-day moving average is $308.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.70. Molina Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $262.32 and a fifty-two week high of $383.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.62.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, research analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total transaction of $301,330.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,235,608.75. The trade was a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MOH. Czech National Bank grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 2.8% during the first quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 12,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,199,000 after buying an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 146,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,366,000 after acquiring an additional 8,192 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 1st quarter worth approximately $212,000. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 126.3% during the first quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 86 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 48.7% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. 98.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Molina Healthcare

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.