Humana (NYSE:HUM) Stock Rating Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Humana to “buy” from “hold.” Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with MarketBeat reporting a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $458.96.
• Humana’s third-quarter results beat estimates: it reported a $0.70-per-share loss versus an expected $1.00 loss, while revenue rose 26.1% year over year to $41.16 billion.
• The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $9.50, citing lower-than-expected medical costs; however, its $160 billion revenue guidance fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Monday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on HUM. Bank of America raised shares of Humana from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $500.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Humana in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Humana from $475.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on shares of Humana in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Humana from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $458.96.

Humana Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE HUM opened at $432.69 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.65. Humana has a 52-week low of $163.11 and a 52-week high of $456.50. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $403.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $312.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 6th. The insurance provider reported ($0.70) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.00) by $0.30. Humana had a net margin of 0.81% and a return on equity of 8.50%. The firm had revenue of $41.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.24 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.500- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Humana will post 9.03 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Humana by 21.8% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 151 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Humana by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 167 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its stake in shares of Humana by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 804 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Humana by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,883 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,542,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenleaf Trust raised its position in shares of Humana by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,524 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $963,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Humana News

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Humana reported a third-quarter loss of $0.70 per share, narrower than analysts’ expected $1.00 loss. Revenue rose 26.1% year over year to $41.16 billion, topping estimates. Article: HUM Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Insurance Performance
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS forecast to at least $9.50, above the roughly $9.13 consensus estimate. Reports cited lower-than-expected medical costs as a factor supporting the improved outlook. Article: Humana Raises 2026 Earnings Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Humana expects Medicare Advantage membership to grow again in 2027, signaling continued expansion in a key business. Its CenterWell unit also helped drive the quarterly performance. Article: Humana Expects Another Year of Medicare Advantage Membership Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Humana’s 2026 revenue guidance of $160 billion was below analysts’ $162.5 billion estimate, tempering the otherwise favorable earnings and outlook news. Article: Humana Third-Quarter Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Despite beating estimates, Humana posted a loss compared with earnings of $3.24 per share a year earlier. Reports also noted that costs associated with new Medicare enrollees remain a concern. Article: Humana Profits Dip as Costs Rise from New Medicare Enrollees

Humana Company Profile

Humana Inc is a U.S. health and wellness company that provides health insurance and healthcare services. Its insurance offerings include Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and prescription drug plans, as well as Medicaid and employer-sponsored plans.

The company also provides care through CenterWell, its healthcare services brand, which includes primary care, home health and pharmacy services. Its insurance and care offerings are available in markets across the United States, with availability varying by product and location.

Humana was founded in 1961 as a nursing home company and later expanded into health insurance.

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