Humana (NYSE:HUM) Lowered to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Humana (NYSE:HUM) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

HUM has been the subject of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Humana from $257.00 to $256.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Humana from $301.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Humana from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Humana from $270.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $290.00 price target on shares of Humana in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $285.68.

Humana Price Performance

NYSE:HUM opened at $269.86 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $271.45 and a 200-day moving average of $278.29. The company has a market capitalization of $32.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.12, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.57. Humana has a 52 week low of $213.31 and a 52 week high of $406.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a current ratio of 1.76.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($2.16) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.26) by $0.10. Humana had a net margin of 1.02% and a return on equity of 11.70%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Humana will post 16.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a dividend of $0.885 per share. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. Humana’s dividend payout ratio is 35.58%.

Insider Transactions at Humana

In related news, insider Timothy S. Huval sold 3,703 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $256.26, for a total transaction of $948,930.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,096,463.06. The trade was a 31.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.37% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA grew its holdings in Humana by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 125 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.