Oak Thistle LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)

Oak Thistle LLC raised its position in shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) by 697.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,352 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,806 shares during the quarter. Humana accounts for 0.6% of Oak Thistle LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Oak Thistle LLC’s holdings in Humana were worth $1,992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in HUM. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its stake in Humana by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 5,709 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,484,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its stake in Humana by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 5,660 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,463,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Humana by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 4,906 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,135,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Humana by 19.0% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 615 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. grew its stake in Humana by 25.0% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 29,809 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $12,971,000 after purchasing an additional 5,964 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Humana

In related news, Director Jorge S. Mesquita purchased 545 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $367.09 per share, with a total value of $200,064.05. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,578 shares in the company, valued at $946,358.02. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.32% of the company’s stock.

Humana Price Performance

Shares of Humana stock traded up $4.86 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $351.58. 1,059,509 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,985,443. The business has a 50-day moving average of $360.02 and a 200 day moving average of $440.94. Humana Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $334.54 and a fifty-two week high of $541.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.42 billion, a PE ratio of 17.52, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The insurance provider reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.87). Humana had a net margin of 2.34% and a return on equity of 19.44%. The firm had revenue of $26.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.62 EPS. Humana’s revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Humana Inc. will post 16.04 EPS for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Investors of record on Friday, March 29th will be issued a $0.885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.01%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HUM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Argus downgraded Humana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 13th. Barclays assumed coverage on Humana in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $356.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho lowered their target price on Humana from $550.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Raymond James assumed coverage on Humana in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Humana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $595.00 to $360.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Humana presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $494.00.

About Humana

Humana Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides medical and specialty insurance products in the United States. It operates through two segments, Insurance and CenterWell. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits.