Zacks Research Issues Positive Estimate for Humana Earnings

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Humana in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, September 29th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings per share of ($1.13) for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of ($1.18). Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Humana’s current full-year earnings is $9.01 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Humana’s Q4 2026 earnings at ($7.75) EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.05 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at ($1.21) EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($1.99) EPS, FY2027 earnings at $11.23 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $29.45 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the company. Bank of America raised Humana from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $500.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Leerink Partners upgraded shares of Humana from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $513.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Humana from $269.00 to $471.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. HSBC lowered shares of Humana to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Humana from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $227.00 to $502.00 in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $408.61.

Humana Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of HUM stock opened at $379.32 on Thursday. Humana has a twelve month low of $163.11 and a twelve month high of $428.88. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $385.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $324.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.74.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $7.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 period last year, the firm posted $6.27 earnings per share. Humana’s revenue was up 26.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HUM. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Humana by 31.5% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,025 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,202,000 after acquiring an additional 725 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Humana by 180.2% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 38,820 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $15,420,000 after purchasing an additional 24,964 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Humana by 10.5% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 70,185 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,879,000 after purchasing an additional 6,690 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Humana by 55.6% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,753 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,285,000 after purchasing an additional 2,055 shares during the period. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in Humana by 24.5% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 470,587 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $186,927,000 after purchasing an additional 92,496 shares during the period. 92.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Humana

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Humana is expanding its 2027 Medicare Advantage offerings, including specialized care options, while emphasizing affordable plans. The broader product range could support enrollment and retention, although the immediate market reaction has been cautious. Humana Maintains Affordable Medicare Advantage Plans and Expands Specialized Care Options for 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research made modest upward adjustments to several forecasts, including FY2026 EPS to $9.05 from $9.00 and FY2027 EPS to $11.23 from $10.98. It also raised estimates for third-quarter 2026 and certain 2027 quarters, suggesting some improvement in the medium-term outlook. What is Zacks Research’s Estimate for Humana Q3 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Humana is scheduled to report third-quarter results on November 6, during Medicare Advantage open enrollment. Investors will focus on membership trends, plan pricing, medical costs and management’s outlook. Humana Reports Third-Quarter Earnings Nov. 6
• Negative Sentiment: Reports indicate Humana has already disclosed planned membership reductions, while changes to premiums and other member costs could affect retention and enrollment before the December 7 open-enrollment deadline. The uncertainty may be weighing on sentiment ahead of earnings. Humana Plan Changes and Open Enrollment
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks modestly reduced its FY2028 EPS forecast to $29.45 from $30.30 and trimmed its fourth-quarter 2026 estimate slightly. Its continued “Hold” rating indicates limited conviction despite the small positive revisions elsewhere. Humana analyst estimates

Humana Company Profile

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.