Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) Stake Decreased by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC trimmed its holdings in Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) by 3.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,926 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 323 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Humana were worth $2,748,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HUM. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Humana by 6.2% during the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,040,896 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $992,938,000 after purchasing an additional 119,760 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Humana during the 4th quarter valued at about $676,800,000. Sanders Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Humana during the 4th quarter worth about $489,300,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Humana by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 984,618 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $450,749,000 after acquiring an additional 8,164 shares during the period. Finally, Putnam Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Humana by 550.3% in the fourth quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 875,489 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $400,808,000 after acquiring an additional 740,858 shares in the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Humana Stock Down 3.2 %

HUM stock opened at $362.85 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $345.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $350.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Humana Inc. has a 12-month low of $298.61 and a 12-month high of $530.54. The company has a market cap of $43.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.59, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.51.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.12 by $1.11. Humana had a return on equity of 17.76% and a net margin of 1.82%. The firm had revenue of $29.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.38 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Humana Inc. will post 16.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th will be issued a $0.885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Argus downgraded Humana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Humana from $334.00 to $326.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report 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 for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Humana from $413.00 to $350.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Humana from $411.00 to $381.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $409.55.

Humana Company Profile

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.