Humana (NYSE:HUM) Stock Price Up 4%

Shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) rose 4% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $314.15 and last traded at $314.14. Approximately 731,865 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 63% from the average daily volume of 1,974,172 shares. The stock had previously closed at $302.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HUM has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stephens cut their target price on shares of Humana from $550.00 to $430.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 26th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Humana from $334.00 to $326.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Humana from $427.00 to $396.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Argus lowered shares of Humana from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Humana from $415.00 to $370.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $424.50.

Humana Trading Up 4.0 %

The company's 50 day moving average price is $325.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $390.72. The company has a market cap of $37.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 1.67.

Humana (NYSE:HUM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.12 by $1.11. Humana had a net margin of 1.82% and a return on equity of 17.76%. The company had revenue of $29.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $9.38 EPS. Humana's quarterly revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Humana Inc. will post 16.18 EPS for the current year.

Humana Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.885 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.13%. Humana's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Jorge S. Mesquita acquired 545 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $367.09 per share, with a total value of $200,064.05. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,578 shares in the company, valued at $946,358.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Humana

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Gradient Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Humana by 200.0% in the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 60 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Cetera Trust Company N.A bought a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Nvwm LLC raised its stake in shares of Humana by 41.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 86 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Humana

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.