Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Humana has a consensus “Hold” rating from 30 brokerages: 14 analysts recommend buying, 13 advise holding, two rate it a sell, and one gives a strong-buy rating. The average 12-month price target is approximately $386.61.
• Humana’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $7.61 versus $7.27 forecast and revenue of $40.89 billion, up 26.2% year over year.
• Despite the earnings beat and several analyst upgrades, sentiment remains cautious because Humana maintained its full-year 2026 guidance and plans additional Medicare Advantage market exits in 2027 to improve margins.

Shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the thirty brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have issued a hold recommendation, fourteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $386.6087.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on HUM. HSBC lowered shares of Humana to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday. Leerink Partners raised Humana from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $513.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on Humana in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price target on Humana from $320.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, William Blair initiated coverage on Humana in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. They set an "outperform" rating for the company.

Key Headlines Impacting Humana

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: Leerink Partners raised Humana from “market perform” to “outperform” and set a $513 price target, implying substantial upside. Bank of America also upgraded the stock to “Buy.” Leerink Partners upgrade Bank of America upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter beat: Humana reported adjusted EPS of $7.61, above the $7.27 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $40.89 billion versus expectations of $40.58 billion. Revenue increased 26.2% year over year, and reported profit was approximately $694 million. Humana second-quarter profit report
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its target from $350 to $370 but maintained a “Hold” rating, indicating only modest expected upside and signaling limited conviction despite the higher valuation estimate. TD Cowen price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Unchanged guidance disappointed investors: Humana affirmed its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings outlook rather than raising it after the quarterly beat. Reports also cited pressure from lower Medicare Advantage quality ratings, tempering optimism about near-term earnings growth. Humana stock and second-quarter outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Medicare Advantage exits: Humana plans to withdraw from additional Medicare Advantage markets and plans in 2027 as it targets a 3% margin. The portfolio reshaping may improve profitability over time, but it could reduce membership and revenue growth in the near term. Humana Medicare Advantage plan exits

Humana Trading Up 0.2%

HUM stock opened at $364.54 on Monday. Humana has a twelve month low of $163.11 and a twelve month high of $428.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $370.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $268.31.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $7.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.27 by $0.34. Humana had a net margin of 0.88% and a return on equity of 11.20%. The firm had revenue of $40.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.27 EPS. The business's revenue was up 26.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Humana will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Humana

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in HUM. Montag A & Associates Inc. increased its stake in Humana by 1,880.0% in the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 99 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in Humana by 54.4% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in Humana in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC grew its stake in Humana by 192.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 73 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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