Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) Raised to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on AFYA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $22.00 price target (down from $24.50) on shares of Afya in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $16.00 price target (down from $18.00) on shares of Afya in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Afya in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Bank of America lowered Afya from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $22.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Afya to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.30.

Afya Trading Up 0.2%

AFYA opened at $14.04 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $14.49 and its 200-day moving average is $14.79. Afya has a 52-week low of $13.00 and a 52-week high of $19.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.52.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AFYA. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. bought a new position in Afya in the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Militia Capital Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Afya during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $71,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Afya in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $117,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Afya during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $164,000. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Afya during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $181,000. 88.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.