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Healthcare insurance company Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH) reported Q1 CY2025 results beating Wall Street’s revenue expectations , with sales up 12.2% year on year to $11.15 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $6.08 per share was 2.1% above analysts’ consensus estimates.

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Molina Healthcare (MOH) Q1 CY2025 Highlights:

• Revenue: $11.15 billion vs analyst estimates of $10.86 billion (12.2% year-on-year growth, 2.6% beat)

• Adjusted EPS: $6.08 vs analyst estimates of $5.96 (2.1% beat)

• Adjusted EBITDA: $506 million vs analyst estimates of $520.8 million (4.5% margin, 2.8% miss)

• Adjusted EPS guidance for the full year is $24.50 at the midpoint, roughly in line with what analysts were expecting

• Operating Margin: 3.9%, in line with the same quarter last year

• Free Cash Flow Margin: 1.5%, similar to the same quarter last year

• Customers: 5.75 million, up from 5.54 million in the previous quarter

• Market Capitalization: $17.46 billion

StockStory’s Take

Molina Healthcare’s first quarter was shaped by continued growth in its core government-sponsored health plans and disciplined management of medical costs. CEO Joe Zubretsky emphasized that the company’s 12% year-over-year revenue growth reflected both organic gains and contributions from recent contract awards, especially within Medicaid and Medicare dual eligible segments. The management team attributed stable margins to effective rate negotiations and cost controls, despite some seasonal pressures and higher utilization in specific areas such as long-term services and behavioral health.

Looking ahead, Molina reaffirmed its adjusted earnings guidance for the year, with management expressing confidence in its embedded earnings power and future contract wins. CFO Mark Keim noted that updated Medicaid rates are expected to offset higher medical cost trends, and the company remains focused on integrating new membership from recent acquisitions and RFP awards. Zubretsky concluded, "Our 2025 earnings and growth profiles are solid, and we remain very confident in our ability to achieve our long-term growth targets."

Key Insights from Management’s Remarks

Molina Healthcare’s Q1 performance was influenced by membership gains and cost management, while non-recurring items affected marketplace margins. Management detailed drivers of the quarter’s results and outlined ongoing business initiatives:

• Medicaid rate updates: Molina secured higher-than-expected rate adjustments from state partners, which management said will help address rising costs for services like long-term care and specialty drugs in subsequent quarters.

• Marketplace margin volatility: The company’s ACA Marketplace segment experienced elevated medical cost ratios due to one-time items, including risk adjustment true-ups and membership reconciliation issues, particularly from the ConnectiCare acquisition. Management expects these impacts to normalize going forward.

• Contract wins and embedded earnings: Molina defended its Medicaid position in Nevada and expanded its dual eligible Medicare business in Illinois, adding meaningful incremental revenue and supporting management’s long-term premium targets.

• M&A pipeline and integration: The acquisition pipeline remains active, with the company signaling ongoing interest in regional players. Integration of prior deals, such as ConnectiCare, is expected to contribute to earnings as operational improvements are realized.

• Stable legislative environment: Management noted that anticipated changes to Medicaid funding at the federal level are likely to be marginal in the near term. They believe any legislative adjustments will be gradual and manageable from a business perspective.