Molina Healthcare downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at BofA

BofA downgraded Molina Healthcare (MOH) to Underperform from Neutral with a $439 price target. The firm, which is concerned that Molina and the Medicaid industry more broadly are likely to face rate pressure after a period of elevated margins, sees a less attractive risk/reward for Molina compared to other insurers the firm covers, the analyst tells investors. Molina is now trading roughly at parity with the firm’s top pick in the space, UnitedHealth (UNH), compared to a 22% discount that had been seen over the last five years, helping to underscore the firm’s view that “sentiment for Medicaid is nearing a top just at a time when Medicare is reaching a bottom,” the analyst added.