Maximus (NYSE:MMS) Shares Down 16.3% – Time to Sell?

Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS)’s share price dropped 16.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $80.12 and last traded at $78.38. Approximately 274,094 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 515,968 shares. The stock had previously closed at $93.69.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on MMS. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Maximus from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Maximus in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Maximus currently has an average rating of “Strong Buy”.

Maximus Trading Down 13.6%

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $90.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $86.41. The stock has a market cap of $4.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.53 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64.

Maximus (NYSE:MMS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The health services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. Maximus had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 25.23%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 earnings per share. Maximus has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.050-8.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Maximus, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Maximus Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. This is a boost from Maximus’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Maximus’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Maximus

In other Maximus news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 4,039 shares of Maximus stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.84, for a total transaction of $350,746.76. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 19,542 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,697,027.28. The trade was a 17.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Maximus by 29.6% during the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 451 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Maximus by 69.0% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 284 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in Maximus by 0.9% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 16,674 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,524,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Maximus by 21.7% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 879 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Maximus by 13.9% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,337 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $122,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.21% of the company’s stock.

About Maximus

Maximus, Inc (NYSE: MMS) is a global provider of government services focused on delivering health and human services programs. The company partners with federal, state, and local agencies to administer and manage programs that support individuals and families across various stages of life. Key service areas include eligibility determination and enrollment services for Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other public assistance programs, as well as call center operations, case management and program integrity solutions.