Humana Inc. $HUM Stock Acquired by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,551 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,914 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Humana were worth $8,337,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Humana in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,412,000. Vista Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Humana during the third quarter valued at $3,254,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of Humana by 10.5% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 70,185 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,879,000 after acquiring an additional 6,690 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Humana during the second quarter valued at $1,749,014,000. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Humana in the second quarter valued at about $1,709,000. Institutional investors own 92.38% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup started coverage on Humana in a research report on Friday, October 9th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Humana from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Humana from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $500.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Humana from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $520.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Humana from $246.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Humana presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $453.30.

Humana News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Humana earned strong ratings in key Medicare plans, a potential support for its competitive position and quality-related revenue. Investors will look to earnings for evidence that the ratings can offset cost pressures. Humana Aced Key Medicare Ratings. Earnings Will Spotlight Other Cost Trends.
• Positive Sentiment: Humana and athenahealth are expanding electronic prior authorization nationwide. The companies say the effort should reduce administrative work for physicians and help patients access care faster, though the financial impact is not quantified. Humana and athenahealth expand electronic prior authorization
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect premiums to rise about 26% year over year, which could help Humana beat Q3 estimates. However, the earnings preview also flags higher operating costs and a worsening benefits expense ratio, leaving the balance of revenue growth versus costs in focus. Can Higher Premiums Help Humana Beat Q3 Earnings Estimates?
• Negative Sentiment: A separate preview says Humana is expected to post a third-quarter loss despite higher revenue. Ongoing medical and operating-cost pressure could overshadow premium growth and weigh on investor expectations for earnings. How To Earn $500 A Month From Humana Stock Ahead Of Q3 Earnings

Humana Stock Performance

HUM stock opened at $411.56 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Humana Inc. has a twelve month low of $163.11 and a twelve month high of $456.50. The business’s fifty day moving average is $403.16 and its 200-day moving average is $311.45. The company has a market cap of $49.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.65.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 24th will be paid a $0.8850 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 24th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.49%.

About Humana

Humana Inc is a health and well-being company that provides insurance products and health care services in the United States and Puerto Rico. The company’s primary business is government-sponsored health coverage, particularly Medicare Advantage plans for older adults, along with Medicare prescription drug plans, Medicaid coverage and certain commercial health insurance products.

Humana also operates CenterWell, its health care services platform focused on older adults. CenterWell includes primary care clinics, home health services and pharmacy services, with an emphasis on coordinated care, chronic-condition management and helping members receive care in lower-cost settings.

Founded in 1961 as a nursing-home company, Humana expanded into hospital operations before shifting its focus toward health insurance and related services.