Maximus (NYSE:MMS) Stock Price Up 11.6% After Strong Earnings

Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) shares were up 11.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $75.11 and last traded at $74.92. Approximately 203,169 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 64% from the average daily volume of 558,234 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.16.

The health services provider reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.64. The company had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.29 billion. Maximus had a return on equity of 21.95% and a net margin of 5.28%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 EPS.

Maximus Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.59%. Maximus’s dividend payout ratio is presently 25.81%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised Maximus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday.

Insider Buying and Selling at Maximus

In other Maximus news, Director Jan Madsen sold 2,439 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.71, for a total value of $165,144.69. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 18,097 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,225,347.87. This trade represents a 11.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Ilene R. Baylinson sold 14,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were 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 directly owns 2,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $171,167.68. This trade represents a 85.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Maximus

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Maximus by 79.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 356 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Maximus in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Maximus by 65.9% in the fourth 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. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Maximus by 67.1% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 732 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Maximus in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.21% of the company’s stock.

Maximus Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.15. The stock has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.20 and a beta of 0.61.

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.