Humana (NYSE:HUM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Leerink Partners

by · The Markets Daily

Humana (NYSE:HUM – Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Leerink Partners from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $513.00 target price on the insurance provider’s stock. Leerink Partners’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 40.73% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on HUM. Raymond James Financial cut Humana from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Humana from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $227.00 to $502.00 in a report on Monday, July 13th. Zacks Research upgraded Humana from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Humana from a “buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Humana from $269.00 to $471.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $386.61.

Read Our Latest Report on HUM

Humana Price Performance

HUM opened at $364.54 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.71. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $370.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $268.37. Humana has a one year low of $163.11 and a one year high of $428.88.

Humana (NYSE:HUM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $7.61 earnings per share 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 analysts’ expectations of $40.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.27 EPS. Humana’s revenue was up 26.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Humana will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Aberdeen Group plc boosted its holdings in Humana by 18.1% during the fourth quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 283,778 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $72,684,000 after buying an additional 43,442 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Humana by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 250,330 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $66,207,000 after acquiring an additional 9,960 shares during the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its stake in shares of Humana by 57.2% in the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 112,501 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $28,815,000 after acquiring an additional 40,958 shares during the last quarter. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Humana by 23.7% in the 4th quarter. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC now owns 24,757 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $6,341,000 after acquiring an additional 4,740 shares during the period. Finally, Swedbank AB raised its position in shares of Humana by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 111,803 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $28,636,000 after acquiring an additional 6,534 shares during the period. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Humana News

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

About Humana

(Get Free Report)

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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