Empowered Funds LLC Takes Position in Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS)

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 109,023 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $8,139,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MMS. Nordea Investment Management AB purchased a new position in Maximus in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,618,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its stake in shares of Maximus by 39.1% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 296,476 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $22,132,000 after acquiring an additional 83,390 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in Maximus by 213.5% during the third quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 8,500 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $792,000 after purchasing an additional 5,789 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Maximus by 12.4% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 929,066 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $86,552,000 after purchasing an additional 102,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in Maximus by 143.3% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 59,448 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $5,538,000 after acquiring an additional 35,012 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.21% of the company’s stock.

Maximus Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE MMS opened at $69.75 on Tuesday. Maximus, Inc. has a 52 week low of $68.15 and a 52 week high of $93.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.00 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company has a fifty day moving average of $74.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $83.12.

Maximus (NYSE:MMS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The health services provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.22. Maximus had a return on equity of 21.95% and a net margin of 5.28%. On average, analysts predict that Maximus, Inc. will post 6.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Maximus Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Saturday, February 15th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.72%. Maximus’s payout ratio is currently 25.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Maximus

In other news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 2,208 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 6,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $484,841.61. This trade represents a 25.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Raymond B. Ruddy bought 3,490 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $71.46 per share, with a total value of $249,395.40. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 112,520 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,040,679.20. The trade was a 3.20 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have acquired 7,063 shares of company stock valued at $502,017. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on MMS. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Maximus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Raymond James upgraded 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.

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.