Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $17.20.

AFYA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Afya in a report on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Afya in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered Afya from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Afya from $22.00 to $21.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Afya from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Lelio De Souza Junior sold 26,753 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.95, for a total value of $399,957.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,279 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $243,371.05. This represents a 62.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Luis Andre Carpintero Blanco sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.20, for a total value of $152,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 51,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $776,765.60. This trade represents a 16.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 123,547 shares of company stock worth $1,854,920.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Afya

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Doma Perpetual Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Afya by 50.6% in the 3rd quarter. Doma Perpetual Capital Management LLC now owns 891,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,910,000 after buying an additional 299,419 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB grew its holdings in Afya by 170.3% in the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 189,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,916,000 after buying an additional 119,200 shares in the last quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda bought a new position in Afya in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,895,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Afya by 25.8% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 126,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,955,000 after buying an additional 26,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP grew its holdings in Afya by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 89,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,400,000 after buying an additional 28,053 shares in the last quarter. 88.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Afya Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ:AFYA opened at $14.02 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 9.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $14.49 and a 200-day moving average of $14.56. Afya has a 52 week low of $13.00 and a 52 week high of $18.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

About Afya

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya’s offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.