Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” by Analysts

Shares of Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” by the six analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $18.00.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AFYA shares. Zacks Research lowered Afya from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Afya from $21.50 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut Afya from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Afya in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Afya from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th.

Afya Price Performance

NASDAQ:AFYA opened at $14.59 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.20 and a quick ratio of 2.20. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $14.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.34. Afya has a 1-year low of $13.00 and a 1-year high of $16.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.90, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.34.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.03. Afya had a net margin of 20.55% and a return on equity of 17.58%. The company had revenue of $187.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $189.62 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Afya will post 1.84 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Afya

In related news, VP Lelio De Souza Junior sold 41,541 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $623,115.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 36,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $543,060. This represents a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Gomiero Mirella Basolli sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.80, for a total transaction of $148,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 34,530 shares in the company, valued at $511,044. This trade represents a 22.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 87,745 shares of company stock valued at $1,314,175.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AFYA. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in Afya by 15.7% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 10,170 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Afya during the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Afya by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 68,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,217,000 after buying an additional 3,626 shares in the last quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Afya during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Afya in the 2nd quarter valued at $67,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.02% of the company’s stock.

Afya Company Profile

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya’s offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.