StockNews.com Downgrades Humana (NYSE:HUM) to Hold

StockNews.com lowered shares of Humana (NYSE:HUM - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $283.00 target price on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Humana from $270.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Humana from $301.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Humana from $257.00 to $256.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $290.00 price objective on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $285.68.

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Humana Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of HUM traded down $0.50 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $266.33. 614,860 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,709,157. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $271.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $278.13. Humana has a 12-month low of $213.31 and a 12-month high of $406.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market cap of $32.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.57.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($2.16) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($2.26) by $0.10. Humana had a return on equity of 11.70% and a net margin of 1.02%. Sell-side analysts expect that Humana will post 16.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.885 per share. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 28th. Humana's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.58%.

Insider Activity at Humana

In other news, insider Timothy S. Huval sold 3,703 shares of the company'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 value of $948,930.78. Following the completion of the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Humana by 12.4% in the third quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 21,717 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $6,879,000 after buying an additional 2,395 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Humana during the 3rd quarter valued at about $701,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its stake in shares of Humana by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 11,387 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $3,606,000 after purchasing an additional 927 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new stake in shares of Humana in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,778,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Humana by 4.4% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 333,725 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $105,704,000 after purchasing an additional 13,945 shares during the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.