Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,380,000 shares, an increase of 15.9% from the October 15th total of 3,780,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,230,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days. Approximately 3.7% of the company's stock are short sold.

Humana Price Performance

NYSE:HUM traded down $7.47 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $275.67. 1,842,901 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,875,008. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $33.19 billion, a PE ratio of 24.42, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.52. Humana has a 12 month low of $213.31 and a 12 month high of $527.18. The company has a fifty day moving average of $281.36 and a 200 day moving average of $331.61.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $4.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.48 by $0.68. Humana had a net margin of 1.18% and a return on equity of 13.20%. The business had revenue of $29.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.66 billion. On average, research analysts anticipate that Humana will post 15.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.885 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.28%. Humana's payout ratio is currently 31.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Humana from $400.00 to $260.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 11th. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Humana from $400.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Barclays upped their target price on Humana from $250.00 to $253.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Leerink Partnrs downgraded shares of Humana from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Humana in a research note on Friday, October 11th. They issued a "sector weight" rating for the company. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $315.86.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Humana

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mendota Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Humana by 9.2% in the second quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 319 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its stake in shares of Humana by 17.0% during the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 213 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. increased its holdings in Humana by 111.4% in the second quarter. CarsonAllaria Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 74 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its holdings in Humana by 2.5% in the third quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 1,639 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $519,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its stake in Humana by 10.5% in the second quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 432 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $161,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.38% of the company's stock.

About Humana

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.

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