Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. Has $8.52 Million Stake in Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)

Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. boosted its stake in Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM - Free Report) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 33,584 shares of the insurance provider's stock after acquiring an additional 1,735 shares during the period. Humana accounts for 1.1% of Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc.'s holdings in Humana were worth $8,521,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Humana by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,902 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,512,000 after purchasing an additional 1,069 shares during the period. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Humana in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Fisher Funds Management LTD acquired a new position in shares of Humana during the fourth quarter valued at about $16,952,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Humana by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 581 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $148,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp lifted its position in Humana by 122.0% in the fourth quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 1,456 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. 92.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Humana Stock Performance

HUM traded up $0.84 during trading on Monday, hitting $256.75. The stock had a trading volume of 829,251 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,679,959. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $269.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $289.61. The firm has a market cap of $30.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.56. Humana Inc. has a one year low of $213.31 and a one year high of $406.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.76.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($2.16) earnings per share (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, research analysts predict that Humana Inc. will post 16.47 EPS for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be paid a $0.885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.38%. Humana's payout ratio is 35.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Humana

In related news, insider Timothy S. Huval sold 3,703 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.26, for a total transaction of $948,930.78. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 8,181 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,096,463.06. This represents a 31.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.32% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on HUM shares. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Humana from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Humana from $301.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Humana from $257.00 to $256.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Bank of America upgraded Humana from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $247.00 to $308.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $283.00 price target on shares of Humana in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $285.68.

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.