StockNews.com Upgrades Humana (NYSE:HUM) to “Buy”

Humana (NYSE:HUM) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Tuesday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Humana from $261.00 to $268.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $283.00 price objective on shares of Humana in a research report 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 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 on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Humana from $387.00 to $290.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $285.68.

Humana Price Performance

Shares of HUM traded up $4.60 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $259.60. 1,770,901 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,709,422. The company has a market cap of $31.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.56. Humana has a 1 year low of $213.31 and a 1 year high of $406.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $269.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $288.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($2.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.26) by $0.10. Humana had a return on equity of 11.70% and a net margin of 1.02%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Humana will post 16.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Humana

In related news, insider Timothy S. Huval sold 3,703 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 31st. The stock was 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 owns 8,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,096,463.06. This trade represents a 31.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HUM. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its position in shares of Humana by 244.0% during the third quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 86 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Humana in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Humana during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Humana during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Your Advocates Ltd. LLP raised its position in shares of Humana by 81.8% in the 3rd quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP now owns 100 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.