Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Shares Down 3.7% - Should You Sell?

Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report)'s share price was down 3.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $340.45 and last traded at $335.69. Approximately 15,286 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 98% from the average daily volume of 651,559 shares. The stock had previously closed at $348.57.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on MOH shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Molina Healthcare from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Molina Healthcare from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $295.00 to $372.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. UBS Group cut their target price on Molina Healthcare from $374.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $375.00 price objective (up previously from $331.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Baird R W lowered shares of Molina Healthcare from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $359.42.

Molina Healthcare Trading Down 3.0 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $17.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.70. 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 firm's 50 day moving average is $314.72 and its 200 day moving average is $307.93.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.74 by ($0.69). Molina Healthcare had a net margin of 2.90% and a return on equity of 28.13%. Equities analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.33, for a total value of $301,330.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,235,608.75. This trade represents a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.26% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MOH. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 74,593.7% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 667,015 shares of the company's stock valued at $219,708,000 after purchasing an additional 666,122 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Molina Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth about $134,675,000. FMR LLC boosted its position in Molina Healthcare by 31.1% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,801,113 shares of the company's stock worth $524,214,000 after acquiring an additional 427,276 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Molina Healthcare by 1,641.3% during the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 409,807 shares of the company's stock valued at $119,274,000 after acquiring an additional 386,273 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 28.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,327,021 shares of the company's stock valued at $386,229,000 after purchasing an additional 294,180 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.50% of the company's stock.

Molina Healthcare Company Profile

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.