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

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $350.00 price objective (down from $378.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $374.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays reduced their target price on Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Molina Healthcare from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $295.00 to $372.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective 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. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Molina Healthcare has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $348.75.

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Molina Healthcare Stock Down 0.2 %

Molina Healthcare stock traded down $0.69 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $322.78. The stock had a trading volume of 360,184 shares, compared to its average volume of 635,537. The company has a market cap of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.80, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.56. The business's 50 day moving average price is $302.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $309.01. Molina Healthcare has a 52 week low of $262.32 and a 52 week high of $409.07. 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 - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.74 by ($0.69). Molina Healthcare had a net margin of 2.90% and a return on equity of 28.13%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Molina Healthcare will post 24.4 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Molina Healthcare

In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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. This trade represents a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Colonial Trust Co SC lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 930.0% during the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 103 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 2,500.0% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 104 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 83.1% in 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 during the last quarter. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Molina Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth approximately $52,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC acquired a new position in Molina Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 98.50% of the stock is 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.