Maximus (NYSE:MMS) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $66.36 and last traded at $68.14, with a volume of 643504 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $67.85.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on MMS. StockNews.com lowered shares of Maximus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Raymond James raised shares of Maximus from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $90.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 2nd.

Maximus Stock Down 2.2 %

The firm has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a PE ratio of 14.36 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.72. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $73.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $81.87.

Maximus (NYSE:MMS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The health services provider reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.22. Maximus had a net margin of 5.28% and a return on equity of 21.95%. On average, analysts predict that Maximus, Inc. will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Maximus Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, February 15th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.80%. Maximus’s payout ratio is currently 25.81%.

Insider Transactions at Maximus

In related news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 2,208 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.83, for a total value of $163,016.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,567 shares in the company, valued at $484,841.61. This trade represents a 25.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ilene R. Baylinson sold 14,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.14, for a total transaction of $988,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $171,167.68. The trade was a 85.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 7,063 shares of company stock valued at $502,017. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Maximus by 79.8% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 356 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in Maximus during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in Maximus by 65.9% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 453 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Maximus during the 4th quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in Maximus by 62.4% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 786 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. 97.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Maximus Company Profile

Maximus, Inc operates as a provider of government services in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: U.S. Federal Services, U.S. Services, and Outside the U.S. The U.S. Services segment offers program eligibility support and enrollment; centralized multilingual customer contact centers, multichannel, and digital self-service options for enrollment; application assistance and independent health plan choice counseling; beneficiary outreach, education, eligibility, enrollment, and redeterminations; and person-centered independent disability, long-term sick, and other health assessments.