Zacks Research Upgrades Humana (NYSE:HUM) to “Hold”

Humana (NYSE:HUM) was upgraded by investment 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 research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Humana from $195.00 to $250.00 in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of Humana in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Humana from $235.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Humana from $264.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut their target price on shares of Humana from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Humana presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $246.83.

Humana Price Performance

Shares of Humana stock opened at $300.52 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $36.08 billion, a PE ratio of 32.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.68. Humana has a 12-month low of $163.11 and a 12-month high of $315.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $202.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $226.49.

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

Insider Transactions at Humana

In other Humana news, insider Sanjay K. Shetty purchased 810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $185.21 per share, with a total value of $150,020.10. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,657 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,158,992.97. The trade was a 7.47% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HUM. Capital International Investors lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 3,097,571 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Humana by 273.2% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,488,261 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $907,541,000 after buying an additional 2,553,509 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Humana in the fourth quarter worth about $456,632,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Humana by 34.3% in the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 5,470,982 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $948,614,000 after buying an additional 1,398,774 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Humana by 4,481.7% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,196,502 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $306,460,000 after buying an additional 1,170,387 shares during the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Humana News

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.

Humana Company Profile

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.