Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the nineteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $465.42.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HUM shares. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $370.00 price target (down from $530.00) on shares of Humana in a research report on Friday, January 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Humana from $450.00 to $385.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $342.00 price objective (down previously from $470.00) on shares of Humana in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $630.00 price objective on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $391.00 target price on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday.

Humana Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:HUM opened at $316.29 on Friday. 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 has a 52-week low of $299.23 and a 52-week high of $541.21. The stock has a market cap of $38.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.96, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.45. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $348.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $431.10.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The insurance provider reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.87). The business had revenue of $26.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.47 billion. Humana had a return on equity of 19.44% and a net margin of 2.34%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.62 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Humana will post 16.02 EPS for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.885 per share. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. Humana’s payout ratio is 17.86%.

Insider Transactions at Humana

In other Humana news, Director Jorge S. Mesquita acquired 545 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $367.09 per share, with a total value of $200,064.05. Following the purchase, the director now owns 2,578 shares in the company, valued at $946,358.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Humana

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC raised its holdings in shares of Humana by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 817 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $397,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Humana by 2.8% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 805 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Vestcor Inc boosted its holdings in Humana by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 8,292 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $4,247,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN grew its stake in shares of Humana by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 343 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Humana by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 582 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $298,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.38% of the company’s stock.

Humana Company Profile

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.