Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $275.00, but opened at $325.00. Molina Healthcare shares last traded at $332.36, with a volume of 300,912 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MOH has been the subject of several research reports. Stephens reiterated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $320.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $406.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Thursday. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Molina Healthcare from $440.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Molina Healthcare from $315.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $420.00 to $395.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $371.83.

Molina Healthcare Stock Up 17.5 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $336.17 and a 200-day moving average price of $330.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.57. The firm has a market cap of $18.94 billion, a PE ratio of 18.00, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.58.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $5.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.73 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 28.09% and a net margin of 2.84%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.65 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Molina Healthcare, Inc. will post 23.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Molina Healthcare

In other news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $339.21, for a total transaction of $339,210.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 18,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,114,260.25. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Maurice Hebert sold 393 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.52, for a total value of $136,182.36. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,473 shares in the company, valued at $3,282,583.96. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $339.21, for a total value of $339,210.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 18,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,114,260.25. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Custom Index Systems LLC raised its position in Molina Healthcare by 62.8% in the third quarter. Custom Index Systems LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the company's stock worth $387,000 after acquiring an additional 433 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale raised its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 96,080 shares of the company's stock worth $32,646,000 after purchasing an additional 2,112 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Molina Healthcare by 9.8% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,706 shares of the company's stock valued at $932,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 27.4% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 5,039 shares of the company's stock worth $1,723,000 after buying an additional 1,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tectonic Advisors LLC grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 8.1% in the third quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 1,330 shares of the company's stock worth $458,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.