Short Interest in Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) Rises By 64.3%

Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) was the target of a large increase in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,270,000 shares, an increase of 64.3% from the October 31st total of 773,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 528,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.4 days. Currently, 2.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Maximus news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 1,363 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.56, for a total value of $126,159.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 6,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $607,841.52. This represents a 17.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in Maximus by 277.0% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 878,894 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $81,878,000 after buying an additional 645,760 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund increased its position in shares of Maximus by 942.9% during the second quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 323,300 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $27,707,000 after purchasing an additional 292,300 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in Maximus by 150.4% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 406,075 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $34,801,000 after purchasing an additional 243,890 shares during the last quarter. Sio Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Maximus in the 3rd quarter valued at $14,453,000. Finally, Algert Global LLC acquired a new stake in Maximus during the 2nd quarter worth $12,424,000. 97.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Maximus Price Performance

Maximus stock opened at $74.50 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.90 and a beta of 0.77. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $86.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $87.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 1.49. Maximus has a 1 year low of $71.75 and a 1 year high of $93.97.

Maximus Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. Maximus’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.00%.

Maximus Company Profile

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.