Humana (NYSE:HUM) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $281.87, but opened at $260.74. Humana shares last traded at $259.5990, with a volume of 759,357 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on HUM shares. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Humana from $283.00 to $322.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Humana from $315.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Humana from $344.00 to $347.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their price target on shares of Humana from $283.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $299.22.

Humana Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business’s fifty day moving average is $280.65 and its 200 day moving average is $258.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.42.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The insurance provider reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.95 by $0.29. Humana had a net margin of 1.28% and a return on equity of 13.67%. The business had revenue of $32.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.16 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Humana Inc. will post 16.47 EPS for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th will be issued a $0.885 dividend. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 26th. Humana’s payout ratio is presently 27.17%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in HUM. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Humana by 63.9% during the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 118 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Humana during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Humana during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of Humana during the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Humana during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.