Humana (NYSE:HUM) Reaches New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $380.86 and last traded at $369.78, with a volume of 1697078 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $380.26.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on HUM. Zacks Research upgraded Humana from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Humana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Humana in a report on Monday. William Blair began coverage on Humana in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered Humana from a “cautious” rating to a “reduce” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $291.35.

Humana Trading Down 2.8%

The company has a market capitalization of $44.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $275.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $239.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $10.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.97 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $39.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.37 billion. Humana had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 0.82%.The firm’s revenue was up 23.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $11.58 earnings per share. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000- EPS. Research analysts predict that Humana Inc. will post 9.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 26th will be given a $0.885 dividend. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 26th. Humana’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.86%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HUM. Montag A & Associates Inc. grew its position in shares of Humana by 1,880.0% in the fourth quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 99 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Humana by 54.4% in the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new stake in shares of Humana in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Humana in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton lifted its stake in shares of Humana by 136.0% in the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 118 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. 92.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Humana

Humana Inc (NYSE: HUM) is a health insurance company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that primarily serves individuals and groups across the United States. The company is best known for its Medicare business, offering Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug (Part D) coverage, alongside a range of commercial and employer-sponsored group health plans. Humana’s products are designed to cover medical, behavioral health and pharmacy needs for members, with particular emphasis on seniors and Medicare-eligible populations.

In addition to traditional insurance products, Humana provides care-management and wellness services intended to support chronic-condition management, preventive care and care coordination.