Zacks Research Upgrades Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) to Strong-Buy

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on MOH. UBS Group increased their target price on Molina Healthcare from $180.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Molina Healthcare from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $248.00 to $218.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $124.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $286.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.38.

Molina Healthcare Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:MOH opened at $197.64 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.30 billion, a PE ratio of -1,097.94 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $206.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $177.02. Molina Healthcare has a 1 year low of $121.06 and a 1 year high of $244.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.63.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.12. Molina Healthcare had a positive return on equity of 3.73% and a negative net margin of 0.02%.The firm had revenue of $10.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.83 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.48 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Molina Healthcare will post 5.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jeff D. Barlow sold 17,811 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.12, for a total value of $3,314,983.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 67,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,502,611. This represents a 20.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Maurice Hebert sold 600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total transaction of $114,930.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,815 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,454,713.25. This represents a 4.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MOH. ARGA Investment Management LP boosted its position in Molina Healthcare by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 4,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $555,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 322 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 118.2% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 64.5% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 13,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,616,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Molina Healthcare

Here are the key news stories impacting Molina Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Molina Healthcare beat Q2 earnings expectations with EPS of $1.51, and lower operating expenses helped offset weaker premium revenue and softer investment income. The company also raised its 2026 EPS outlook, which supports the long-term earnings case. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see some upside from current levels despite recent weakness, with Truist and RBC both saying the stock could rise into the low-to-mid $200s. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s consensus recommendation remains “Hold,” suggesting analysts are not turning bullish yet, but are also not broadly negative on the name. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and membership trends remain a concern, and multiple reports said investors were disappointed by weaker premium revenue and softer guidance even after the earnings beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction has been negative because Molina warned about a smaller Obamacare footprint and ongoing pressure in its Medicaid/ACA businesses, which outweighed the earnings beat. Article Title

About Molina Healthcare

Molina Healthcare, Inc is a managed care company specializing in government-sponsored health insurance programs. The company offers Medicaid managed care plans, Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, and individual Marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act. Through an integrated care model, Molina emphasizes preventive and primary care services, care coordination, and disease management to improve health outcomes for its members.

The company traces its roots to the early 1980s, when Dr.