Maximus (NYSE:MMS) Reaches New 1-Year High Following Earnings Beat

Shares of Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $90.65 and last traded at $86.84, with a volume of 129452 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $84.12.

The health services provider reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.31 by $0.26. Maximus had a return on equity of 15.68% and a net margin of 3.73%. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Maximus Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.43%. Maximus’s payout ratio is currently 39.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Maximus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th.

Insider Activity at Maximus

In related news, CFO David Mutryn sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.95, for a total transaction of $671,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 5,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $430,159.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Maximus

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMS. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in shares of Maximus by 18.7% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 9,436 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $705,000 after purchasing an additional 1,489 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Maximus by 6.1% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 28,324 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,115,000 after acquiring an additional 1,636 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC grew its stake in Maximus by 70.9% during the 3rd quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC now owns 7,692 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $574,000 after purchasing an additional 3,191 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Maximus in the third quarter worth $210,000. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of Maximus by 54.9% in the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 27,100 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $2,024,000 after purchasing an additional 9,600 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.21% of the company’s stock.

Maximus Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.69 and a quick ratio of 1.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.74 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a fifty day moving average of $82.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $81.64.

About Maximus

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.