Humana (NYSE:HUM) Shares Up 0.5%

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) was up 0.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $322.71 and last traded at $320.85. Approximately 160,952 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 1,964,446 shares. The stock had previously closed at $319.23.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on HUM. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of Humana from $415.00 to $370.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Stephens reduced their target price on Humana from $550.00 to $430.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Humana from $415.00 to $353.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Humana from $356.00 to $310.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Argus cut Humana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Eleven 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, Humana presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $424.50.

Humana Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $323.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $387.14. The stock has a market cap of $39.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.49.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.12 by $1.11. The firm had revenue of $29.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.52 billion. Humana had a return on equity of 17.76% and a net margin of 1.82%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $9.38 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Humana Inc. will post 16.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th will be issued a $0.885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.09%. Humana’s payout ratio is 22.04%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Jorge S. Mesquita purchased 545 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $367.09 per share, with a total value of $200,064.05. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $946,358.02. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Humana

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HUM. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Humana during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Gradient Investments LLC boosted its stake in Humana by 200.0% in the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 60 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Cetera Trust Company N.A purchased a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Nvwm LLC boosted its position in Humana by 41.0% during the third quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 86 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 25 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.