Zacks Research Comments on Maximus’ Q4 Earnings (NYSE:MMS)

Maximus, Inc. (NYSE:MMS) – Analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q4 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Maximus in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, August 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the health services provider will post earnings of $1.93 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $2.29. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Maximus’ current full-year earnings is $8.03 per share.

Maximus (NYSE:MMS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The health services provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.01. Maximus had a net margin of 7.07% and a return on equity of 24.91%. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.16 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Maximus has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.200 EPS.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Maximus in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Wall Street Zen cut Maximus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Maximus Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE MMS opened at $59.48 on Friday. Maximus has a 12-month low of $52.73 and a 12-month high of $100.00. The company has a market capitalization of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 8.79 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 2.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $57.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.66.

Maximus Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Maximus’s payout ratio is presently 19.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Maximus

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Maximus during the 2nd quarter worth about $400,186,000. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Maximus by 5,229.9% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 3,365,376 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $180,923,000 after buying an additional 3,302,234 shares during the last quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. raised its position in shares of Maximus by 131.8% in the second quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. now owns 1,982,415 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $106,575,000 after buying an additional 1,127,346 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Maximus during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $60,393,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Maximus during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,487,000. 97.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Maximus

Here are the key news stories impacting Maximus this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2028 EPS forecast to $9.15 from $8.94, and increased estimates for Q2 2027, Q1 2028, and Q2–Q3 2028. These upgrades suggest some confidence in Maximus’ longer-term earnings potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research continues to rate Maximus “Strong Sell,” even as its FY2027 forecast remains relatively strong at $8.37 EPS and its FY2028 estimate rises. The longer-term upgrades therefore have limited immediate impact while the overall rating remains negative.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut its FY2026 EPS forecast to $8.07 from $8.41, bringing it only slightly above the broader consensus estimate of $8.03. The firm also lowered estimates for Q4 2026 to $1.93 from $2.29, Q1 2027 to $1.93 from $1.94, Q3 2027 to $2.27 from $2.33, Q4 2027 to $1.92 from $1.95, and FY2027 to $8.37 from $8.43.

Maximus Company Profile

Maximus, Inc (NYSE: MMS) is a global provider of government services focused on delivering health and human services programs. The company partners with federal, state, and local agencies to administer and manage programs that support individuals and families across various stages of life. Key service areas include eligibility determination and enrollment services for Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other public assistance programs, as well as call center operations, case management and program integrity solutions.