Zacks Research Upgrades Humana (NYSE:HUM) to Hold

Humana (NYSE:HUM) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Humana’s Q2 2026 earnings at $4.71 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.08 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($6.08) EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.01 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $8.69 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $4.19 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.31 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($1.92) EPS, FY2027 earnings at $13.26 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $8.57 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $22.23 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on HUM. Barclays boosted their target price on Humana from $176.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $146.00 price objective on Humana in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Piper Sandler reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $254.00 price objective (up from $182.00) on shares of Humana in a research report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of Humana in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Humana from $195.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Humana currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $246.83.

Humana Price Performance

HUM opened at $300.52 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.77 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The company has a market capitalization of $36.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.68. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $202.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $226.49. Humana has a 1 year low of $163.11 and a 1 year high of $315.35.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $10.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.97 by $0.34. Humana had a net margin of 0.82% and a return on equity of 10.45%. The business had revenue of $39.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $11.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000- EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Humana will post 9.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Humana

In other news, insider Sanjay K. Shetty purchased 810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $185.21 per share, with a total value of $150,020.10. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,657 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,158,992.97. This represents a 7.47% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in shares of Humana by 113.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 5,818,008 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,490,239,000 after buying an additional 3,097,571 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in shares of Humana by 273.2% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,488,261 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $907,541,000 after buying an additional 2,553,509 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Humana during the fourth quarter worth $456,632,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Humana by 34.3% during the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 5,470,982 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $948,614,000 after acquiring an additional 1,398,774 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Humana by 4,481.7% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,196,502 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $306,460,000 after acquiring an additional 1,170,387 shares in the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Humana News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target on Humana to $254 from $182 while keeping a Neutral rating, suggesting improved confidence in the company’s outlook. Piper Sandler price target increase article
• Positive Sentiment: Humana, CenterWell and USAA announced a veterans-focused community service initiative with the VFW, which may support the company’s brand and social impact reputation. Veterans Day of Service article
• Neutral Sentiment: Humana also announced more than $1 million in Louisiana health-outcome grants, a positive corporate initiative that is unlikely to move the stock much on its own. Louisiana grants article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut Humana’s FY2026 EPS estimate to $9.01 from $9.90, signaling softer near-term earnings expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: The firm also lowered estimates for FY2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027 and Q1 2028, reinforcing concerns that earnings momentum may be uneven.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research maintains a Strong Sell rating on Humana, which adds to pressure on the shares.

About Humana

Humana Inc (NYSE: HUM) is a health insurance company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that primarily serves individuals and groups across the United States. The company is best known for its Medicare business, offering Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug (Part D) coverage, alongside a range of commercial and employer-sponsored group health plans. Humana’s products are designed to cover medical, behavioral health and pharmacy needs for members, with particular emphasis on seniors and Medicare-eligible populations.

In addition to traditional insurance products, Humana provides care-management and wellness services intended to support chronic-condition management, preventive care and care coordination.