Humana Inc. (HUM) – What Are Brokerages Saying About This Stock?

Shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-two brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $453.30.

A number of research firms have weighed in on HUM. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Humana from $246.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Evercore upgraded shares of Humana from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $480.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Humana from $468.00 to $495.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Humana from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $596.00 target price on shares of Humana and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th.

Humana Stock Down 4.5%

Shares of HUM stock traded down $19.42 on Friday, hitting $412.78. 1,401,592 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,610,763. The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.74. Humana has a fifty-two week low of $163.11 and a fifty-two week high of $456.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $394.10 and a 200 day moving average of $342.41.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $7.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.27 by $0.34. Humana had a return on equity of 11.20% and a net margin of 0.88%. The business had revenue of $40.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.27 EPS. Humana’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Humana will post 9.03 EPS for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a $0.8850 dividend. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Humana’s payout ratio is presently 33.49%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HUM. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Humana in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Humana during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in Humana during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bogart Wealth LLC increased its stake in Humana by 192.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 73 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, MidFirst Bank bought a new position in Humana during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. 92.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Humana

Humana Inc is a health and well-being company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1961, the company began as a nursing home operator before expanding into hospitals and health insurance. Today, Humana primarily provides health insurance products and healthcare services for older adults, individuals, military families and other members in the United States.

Humana’s insurance business offers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and prescription drug plans, as well as Medicaid coverage in select markets.