Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) Short Interest Update

Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,270,000 shares, an increase of 64.3% from the October 31st total of 773,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 528,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.4 days. Approximately 2.1% of the company's stock are sold short.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 1,363 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.56, for a total value of $126,159.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $607,841.52. The trade was a 17.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Maximus during the third quarter valued at $25,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Maximus by 224.5% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 344 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Maximus by 201.5% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 392 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. Archer Investment Corp raised its position in Maximus by 8,788.9% during the second quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 800 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 791 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ariadne Wealth Management LP purchased a new stake in Maximus in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $90,000. 97.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Maximus from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday.

Maximus Stock Up 2.8 %

Shares of MMS stock traded up $2.00 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $74.50. 707,093 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 409,477. Maximus has a 1 year low of $71.75 and a 1 year high of $93.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $4.49 billion, a PE ratio of 14.50 and a beta of 0.77. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $86.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $87.64.

Maximus Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, November 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.61%. Maximus's dividend payout ratio is currently 24.00%.

About Maximus

Maximus, Inc operates as a provider of government services in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: U.S. Federal Services, U.S. Services, and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers program eligibility support and enrollment; centralized multilingual customer contact centers, multichannel, and digital self-service options for enrollment; application assistance and independent health plan choice counseling; beneficiary outreach, education, eligibility, enrollment, and redeterminations; and person-centered independent disability, long-term sick, and other health assessments.