Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) Stock Rating Upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) was upgraded by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $19.00 target price on the stock, down from their prior target price of $21.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target points to a potential upside of 34.28% from the stock’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on AFYA. Zacks Research upgraded Afya from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Bradesco Corretora raised Afya to an “outperform” rating and set a $17.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Afya from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Afya in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Afya from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.25.

Afya Price Performance

Shares of AFYA stock opened at $14.15 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a PE ratio of 8.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.34. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.20, a quick ratio of 2.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Afya has a twelve month low of $11.62 and a twelve month high of $16.16.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $187.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.62 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Afya will post 1.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Afya

In other news, insider Santos Welder Ferreira sold 4,161 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.30, for a total value of $55,341.30. Following the sale, the insider owned 35,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $465,500. This represents a 10.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Afya

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. bought a new position in Afya during the 4th quarter worth approximately $462,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in shares of Afya in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $325,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Afya in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $67,000. Institutional investors own 88.02% of the company’s stock.

Key Afya News

Here are the key news stories impacting Afya this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded Afya (AFYA) from Neutral to Overweight, citing a more favorable outlook and assigning a $19 price target. The target remains well above recent trading levels, implying substantial potential upside, despite being reduced from $21. JPMorgan Upgrades Afya to Overweight From Neutral, $19 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Value-focused coverage highlighted Afya as a potentially attractive investment based on its low valuation. The company trades at a relatively modest earnings multiple, while its latest quarterly EPS exceeded analyst expectations, supporting the case for continued investor interest. GF Value Says Afya Is Undervalued
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised Afya’s rating from Strong Sell to Hold. The improvement reduces a prior negative signal but does not represent a bullish recommendation. A separate Zacks comparison of Afya and Universal Technical Institute also focused on relative value rather than introducing a company-specific catalyst. Afya Stock Moved Up to Hold by Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Santos Welder Ferreira sold 4,161 shares for approximately $55,341, reducing his direct stake by 10.63%. Although the sale is relatively small compared with Afya’s market value, insider selling can weigh on sentiment and partially offsets the benefit of JPMorgan’s upgrade. Afya Insider Selling

Afya Company Profile

Afya Limited (NASDAQ: AFYA) is a Brazil-based medical education and health technology company. The company provides education and professional development for physicians and other healthcare professionals, with activities spanning undergraduate medical programs, medical residency preparation, specialization courses, continuing medical education and digital learning services.

Afya also develops technology-enabled products designed to support healthcare professionals throughout their careers.