Research Analysts Set Expectations for Humana Q1 Earnings

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Humana in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the insurance provider will post earnings of $9.04 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $7.98. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Humana’s current full-year earnings is $16.47 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Humana’s Q2 2026 earnings at $3.46 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.02 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($2.61) EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.91 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $8.99 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $6.35 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.71 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($1.87) EPS and FY2027 earnings at $14.17 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on HUM. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Humana from $310.00 to $235.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Evercore reduced their target price on Humana from $260.00 to $180.00 in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Oppenheimer set a $250.00 price target on Humana in a report on Thursday, February 12th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Humana from $260.00 to $173.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Humana from $215.00 to $158.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $225.48.

Humana Stock Performance

Shares of HUM opened at $190.28 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $229.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $256.00. The stock has a market cap of $22.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.38, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 2.00. Humana has a one year low of $169.61 and a one year high of $315.35.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($3.96) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.01) by $0.05. The business had revenue of $32.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.08 billion. Humana had a return on equity of 11.43% and a net margin of 0.92%.Humana’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($2.16) EPS. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-9.000 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Humana

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Montag A & Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of Humana by 1,880.0% during the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 99 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its position in Humana by 54.4% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in Humana during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its holdings in Humana by 136.0% during the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 118 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Humana in the second quarter worth about $32,000. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Sanjay K. Shetty purchased 810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $185.21 per share, with a total value of $150,020.10. Following the purchase, the insider owned 11,657 shares in the company, valued at $2,158,992.97. This represents a 7.47% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.885 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 27th. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.05%.

Humana News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying — Humana director/insider Sanjay Shetty purchased 810 shares (~$150k), increasing his stake; insider purchases often signal management confidence. Insider Buying: Humana
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy institutional accumulation — multiple large managers (Capital International, Massachusetts Financial, Wellington, Franklin, Norges) materially increased positions in the latest quarter, a bullish demand signal for the stock. MarketBeat Humana Profile
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend confirmed — Humana declared a quarterly dividend of $0.885 (annualized $3.54, ~2.0% yield); the dividend supports income-oriented buyers and reduces downside for yield-seeking investors. Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming investor presentation — CEO Jim Rechtin and CFO Celeste Mellet will present at the Leerink Partners Global Healthcare Conference on March 10; could provide clarity on margin initiatives and 2026 execution. Leerink Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Real‑estate update — Humana Tower in Louisville is slated for conversion to a convention hotel; largely a corporate real-estate development with limited near-term EPS impact but worth monitoring for asset-monetization implications. Humana Tower Conversion
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cuts multiple EPS estimates and issues a “Strong Sell” — Zacks trimmed Q2/Q3/Q4 2026 and 2027 quarter and full‑year forecasts and reduced FY2026/FY2027/PT outlooks, flagging weaker near‑term EPS visibility. This raises downside risk to consensus and investor sentiment (no link provided for the Zacks note).
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowers price target and flags margin concerns — Barclays cut its HUM price target (to $176) and cited uncertainty around Humana’s margin expansion outlook, adding pressure to the share price. Barclays Lowers Price Target

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.