Norges Bank Takes Position in Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH)

Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 462,721 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $134,675,000. Norges Bank owned approximately 0.81% of Molina Healthcare at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MOH. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 166.1% in the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 196,513 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,195,000 after acquiring an additional 122,674 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Molina Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth about $26,091,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 48.9% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 141,184 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,092,000 after purchasing an additional 46,350 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Molina Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at about $10,725,000. Finally, Jackson Square Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 48.1% during the 4th quarter. Jackson Square Partners LLC now owns 79,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,139,000 after buying an additional 25,813 shares in the last quarter. 98.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised Molina Healthcare from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Molina Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $295.00 to $372.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 target price (down from $378.00) on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $372.00 to $339.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $382.00 to $376.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $348.75.

Molina Healthcare Price Performance

Molina Healthcare stock opened at $329.44 on Tuesday. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $262.32 and a one year high of $409.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.13, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.56. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $303.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $308.59.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $5.05 earnings per share 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%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.4 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 owns 17,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,235,608.75. This represents a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.10% 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.