Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,270,000 shares, a growth of 64.3% from the October 31st total of 773,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 528,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Maximus Stock Up 2.8 %

NYSE:MMS traded up $2.00 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $74.50. 707,094 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,061,140. Maximus has a one year low of $71.75 and a one year high of $93.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $86.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $87.57. The company has a market cap of $4.49 billion, a PE ratio of 14.90 and a beta of 0.77.

Maximus Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Maximus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday.

Insider Activity at Maximus

In related news, insider Michelle F. Link sold 1,363 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.56, for a total transaction of $126,159.28. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 6,567 shares in the company, valued at $607,841.52. The trade was a 17.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Inspire Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Maximus by 1.4% in the second quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 8,768 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $751,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Maximus by 4.5% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,179 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Petrus Trust Company LTA lifted its stake in shares of Maximus by 2.7% in the third quarter. Petrus Trust Company LTA now owns 7,084 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $660,000 after buying an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Maximus by 4.6% during the second quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 4,525 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Maximus by 224.5% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 344 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.21% of the company’s stock.

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.