Humana (NYSE:HUM) Trading Up 0.8%

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) shares shot up 0.8% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $306.12 and last traded at $305.56. 309,162 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 1,971,079 shares. The stock had previously closed at $303.15.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on HUM. StockNews.com cut shares of Humana from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Argus lowered Humana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Humana from $550.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. TheStreet downgraded Humana from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Monday, January 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Humana from $415.00 to $370.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $424.50.

Humana Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $325.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $390.72. The company has a market cap of $38.68 billion, a PE ratio of 19.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.12 by $1.11. The firm had revenue of $29.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.52 billion. Humana had a return on equity of 17.76% and a net margin of 1.82%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.38 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Humana Inc. will post 16.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th will be paid a $0.885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.04%.

Insider Activity

In other Humana news, Director Jorge S. Mesquita acquired 545 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $367.09 per share, with a total value of $200,064.05. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $946,358.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Humana

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Humana during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Gradient Investments LLC raised its stake in Humana by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 60 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Trust Company N.A purchased a new stake in Humana during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Humana during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Nvwm LLC boosted its stake in shares of Humana by 41.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 86 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.