Express Scripts (NASDAQ:ESRX) received a $86.00 price objective from Mizuho in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Mizuho’s target price suggests a potential upside of 6.23% from the stock’s previous close.
Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Raymond James Financial restated a “sell” rating on shares of Express Scripts in a research report on Friday, December 15th. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Express Scripts in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. They issued an “in-line” rating and a $78.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird restated a “buy” rating and issued a $92.00 price objective (up from $81.00) on shares of Express Scripts in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Express Scripts from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 6th. Finally, SunTrust Banks set a $82.00 price objective on Express Scripts and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 14th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Express Scripts has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $78.27.
Shares of Express Scripts (ESRX) traded down $0.19 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $80.96. The company had a trading volume of 3,653,051 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,900,000. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $45,960.00, a PE ratio of 13.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.87. Express Scripts has a 52 week low of $55.80 and a 52 week high of $81.99.
Express Scripts announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Monday, December 18th that permits the company to buyback 45,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
In related news, VP Christine Houston sold 10,104 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.08, for a total transaction of $708,088.32. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 87,400 shares in the company, valued at $6,124,992. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Timothy C. Wentworth purchased 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $61.13 per share, with a total value of $489,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,628 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,029,129.64. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold 17,644 shares of company stock valued at $1,289,609 over the last quarter. 0.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. acquired a new position in Express Scripts during the third quarter worth $120,000. Monroe Bank & Trust MI boosted its stake in Express Scripts by 74.8% during the third quarter. Monroe Bank & Trust MI now owns 2,266 shares of the company’s stock worth $156,000 after buying an additional 970 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors Netherlands B.V. boosted its stake in Express Scripts by 49.3% during the second quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors Netherlands B.V. now owns 2,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $179,000 after buying an additional 924 shares during the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Express Scripts during the fourth quarter worth $209,000. Finally, Alpha Windward LLC boosted its stake in Express Scripts by 35.9% during the fourth quarter. Alpha Windward LLC now owns 2,981 shares of the company’s stock worth $223,000 after buying an additional 787 shares during the last quarter. 88.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
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Express Scripts Company Profile
Express Scripts, Inc is a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company in North America, offering a range of services to its clients, which include health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, workers’ compensation plans and government health programs. It operates in two segments: PBM and Emerging Markets (EM).
