Overview
Cantor Fitzgerald on Monday reduced its price target for Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) to $144.00 from $180.00 and maintained a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm said its decision reflects concerns about Molina’s guidance for 2026 and the company’s evolving business mix.
Market reaction and valuation
Molina shares fell sharply in the most recent week, declining 27.3% and settling at $131.72, according to the report. That price sits just above the company’s 52-week low of $125. Cantor Fitzgerald said the company’s 2026 guidance "leaves little to no room for upside," a view that complicates estimating appropriate valuation multiples for 2027 and 2028.
Profitability and segment focus
Despite the cautious outlook from the research firm, InvestingPro data cited in the note shows Molina remains profitable on a trailing-twelve-month basis with earnings per share of $8.92. Cantor Fitzgerald highlighted that Molina’s strategic choice to leave the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) market further concentrates the company’s activities on Marketplace and Medicaid lines of business, a shift it views as reducing optionality.
The research note framed Molina as "a difficult name to own" under current conditions, reflecting the firm’s assessment of both the company’s guidance and its exposure across health-insurance segments. Cantor Fitzgerald said its lower price target better aligns with its view on Molina’s business prospects and the impact of its segment exposure within the health-insurance market.
Recent operating and accounting developments
Molina reported a notable earnings shortfall for the fourth quarter of 2025, recording an adjusted loss per share of $2.75 versus an expected $0.34. Revenue for the quarter, however, exceeded expectations at $11.38 billion. The company also disclosed it will take a non-cash, pre-tax impairment charge of approximately $93 million in the first quarter of 2026 tied to its decision to exit the MAPD product offering for 2027. The firm said the move is part of a refocusing of its Medicare approach toward dual eligible members.
Peer analyst actions
In a separate move, Jefferies lowered its price target on Molina from $160.00 to $139.00 and retained a Hold rating. Jefferies cited concerns about Molina’s Medicaid medical loss ratio in the fourth quarter of 2026, calling out the influence of the Florida CMS contract as a particular source of pressure. Together these analyst notes and the company’s recent financial disclosures have attracted increased attention from investors and market observers.
Summary
Cantor Fitzgerald’s reduction of Molina Healthcare’s price target to $144, alongside Jefferies’ cut to $139 and recent earnings and impairment disclosures, signal mounting analyst caution driven by constrained 2026 guidance and a narrowed business focus following the MAPD exit.