Zacks Research Issues Positive Outlook for Humana Earnings

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) – Research analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Humana in a report issued on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings of $9.04 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $7.98. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Humana’s current full-year earnings is $16.47 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Humana’s Q2 2026 earnings at $3.46 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.02 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($2.61) EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.91 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $8.99 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $6.35 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.71 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($1.87) EPS and FY2027 earnings at $14.17 EPS.

HUM has been the subject of several other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Humana from $215.00 to $158.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Humana from $280.00 to $264.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Leerink Partners lowered their price target on Humana from $267.00 to $185.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on Humana from $312.00 to $252.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Humana from $290.00 to $206.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Humana currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $225.48.

Humana Stock Up 6.1%

Shares of Humana stock opened at $186.88 on Friday. Humana has a 12-month low of $169.61 and a 12-month high of $315.35. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $230.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $256.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.44.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($3.96) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.01) by $0.05. Humana had a return on equity of 11.43% and a net margin of 0.92%.The business had revenue of $32.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($2.16) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-9.000 EPS.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be given a dividend of $0.885 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 27th. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Humana’s payout ratio is currently 36.05%.

Insider Activity at Humana

In other news, insider Sanjay K. Shetty bought 810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $185.21 per share, for a total transaction of $150,020.10. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 11,657 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,158,992.97. This trade represents a 7.47% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HUM. Montag A & Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of Humana by 1,880.0% during the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 99 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Humana by 54.4% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new stake in Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton boosted its holdings in Humana by 136.0% during the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 118 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Humana in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 92.38% of the company’s stock.

Humana News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying: Humana insider Sanjay Shetty purchased 810 shares at about $185.21, increasing his stake ~7.5% — a classic signal of insider confidence that can support near?term sentiment. Insider Buying
• Positive Sentiment: CenterWell expansion: Humana’s CenterWell acquired a Florida primary-care network, expanding its direct-care footprint and supporting longer?term membership and care?coordination strategies that investors reward. Acquisition Article
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend + institutional inflows: The company declared a quarterly dividend (annualized ~$3.54, ~2.0% yield) and filings show large institutional buying from groups like Capital International, MFS and Norges Bank — both items support demand for the stock. MarketBeat Humana
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor presentation scheduled: CEO Jim Rechtin and CFO Celeste Mellet will present at the Leerink Partners Global Healthcare Conference on March 10; management commentary could move the shares depending on tone and new disclosures. Conference Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Local operations/profile piece: A regional profile on Humana Group Benefits in San Antonio highlights relationship-driven growth but is unlikely to move the stock materially. Local Profile
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and cuts: Barclays cut its price target to $176 and kept an equal?weight rating; other shops (Zacks, Leerink, Weiss) have issued cautious or negative notes — analyst tone is pressuring sentiment and caps upside. Barclays PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks / peer comparison: Zacks’ commentary and comparative pieces argue UnitedHealth (UNH) has better upside given scale versus Humana, and Zacks moved to a more bearish stance — a headwind for investors seeking sector winners. Zacks Comparison

Humana Company Profile

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.