Humana (NYSE:HUM) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Research

Posted by George Bondi on May 15th, 2026

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Humana (NYSE:HUM – Free Report) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released 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.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on HUM. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $254.00 price objective (up from $182.00) on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday. Wolfe Research reduced their price objective on Humana from $325.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Humana from $252.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of Humana in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Humana from $201.00 to $264.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Humana presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $246.83.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Humana

Humana Trading Down 1.4%

Humana stock opened at $300.52 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $202.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $226.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 1.77. Humana has a one year low of $163.11 and a one year high of $315.35. The stock 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 (NYSE:HUM – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $10.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.97 by $0.34. Humana had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 0.82%.The firm had revenue of $39.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $11.58 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000- EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Humana will post 9.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, June 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.885 per share. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 26th. Humana’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.86%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Sanjay K. Shetty bought 810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $185.21 per share, with a total value of $150,020.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Humana

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Humana by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,261,860 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,652,890,000 after acquiring an additional 106,030 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Humana by 113.9% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 5,818,008 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,490,239,000 after acquiring an additional 3,097,571 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Humana by 34.3% during the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 5,470,982 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $948,614,000 after acquiring an additional 1,398,774 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Humana by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,462,549 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,403,877,000 after acquiring an additional 97,211 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in Humana by 28.9% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,496,775 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,151,759,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008,514 shares during the period. 92.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Humana

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.

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.