Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $374.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Molina Healthcare from $382.00 to $376.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $350.00 price target (down from $378.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Molina Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $295.00 to $372.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $355.69.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 4.3 %

Shares of NYSE:MOH traded up $13.45 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $323.98. The company had a trading volume of 534,473 shares, compared to its average volume of 614,557. Molina Healthcare has a 1-year low of $262.32 and a 1-year high of $423.92. The stock has a market cap of $17.72 billion, a PE ratio of 15.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $300.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $308.97.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share 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%. Research analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Molina Healthcare

In other news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total value of $301,330.00. Following the sale, the director now directly 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 930.0% during the fourth quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings 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 during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Molina Healthcare by 83.1% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC bought a new stake in Molina Healthcare during the fourth quarter valued at about $55,000. Institutional investors own 98.50% of the company’s stock.

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.