JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Humana (NYSE:HUM) Price Target to $256.00

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Free Report) had its price target trimmed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $257.00 to $256.00 in a research note published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the insurance provider's stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on HUM. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Humana from $261.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Humana from $387.00 to $290.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $290.00 target price on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Humana from $301.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Humana from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $285.68.

Humana Trading Down 5.7 %

Shares of NYSE:HUM traded down $15.53 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $255.77. The stock had a trading volume of 2,862,870 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,707,253. The firm's fifty day moving average is $269.41 and its 200 day moving average is $290.45. 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 has a 52 week low of $213.31 and a 52 week high of $406.46. The stock has a market cap of $30.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.56.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($2.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts forecast that Humana will post 16.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a dividend of $0.885 per share. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 28th. Humana's payout ratio is currently 35.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Humana news, insider Timothy S. Huval sold 3,703 shares of Humana stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $256.26, for a total value of $948,930.78. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,181 shares of the company's stock, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.32% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Humana

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HUM. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its position in Humana by 244.0% in the third quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 86 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Humana in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Humana in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Humana in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Your Advocates Ltd. LLP increased its stake in shares of Humana by 81.8% in the third quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP now owns 100 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.