Short Interest in Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) Grows By 19.3%

Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 5,937,118 shares, a growth of 19.3% from the March 15th total of 4,977,893 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,708,634 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.5 days. Approximately 5.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Humana Trading Up 2.2%

HUM stock opened at $205.09 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $181.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $230.77. Humana has a fifty-two week low of $163.11 and a fifty-two week high of $315.35. The firm has a market cap of $24.62 billion, a PE ratio of 20.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.00.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($3.96) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.01) by $0.05. Humana had a net margin of 0.92% and a return on equity of 11.43%. The company had revenue of $32.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($2.16) earnings per share. Humana’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Humana has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.000-9.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Humana will post 16.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, June 26th will be given a $0.885 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 26th. This represents a $3.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.05%.

Key Stories Impacting Humana

Here are the key news stories impacting Humana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Humana secured a $30 million settlement from Lupin’s U.S. unit over an antitrust claim, a cash recovery that removes litigation uncertainty and modestly improves near-term cash/earnings visibility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Humana announced a quarterly dividend of $0.885 per share (record June 26, paid July 31), which supports yield-focused investors and signals board confidence in cash generation. Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer discussed Humana’s business on CNBC/linked coverage, increasing retail investor attention — media mentions can boost trading volume and momentum but don’t change fundamentals by themselves. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research sharply downgraded Humana from “Hold” to “Strong Sell” and trimmed multiple near- and multi‑year EPS estimates (Q1 2026, FY2026–FY2028 and several 2027 quarters). The downgrade and the handful of small estimate cuts increase selling pressure and signal analyst concerns about near-term profitability. Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Humana disclosed a data breach affecting customers in Texas and five other states — this raises potential customer, regulatory and remediation costs and could create reputational headwinds. Data Breach Article

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Sanjay K. Shetty acquired 810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $185.21 per share, with a total value of $150,020.10. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 11,657 shares in the company, valued at $2,158,992.97. This represents a 7.47% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Humana

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Humana during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $202,000. Woodline Partners LP increased its position in shares of Humana by 460.0% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 10,192 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,697,000 after purchasing an additional 8,372 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Humana by 53.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,293 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 452 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Humana by 10.3% during the 2nd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 2,369 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $581,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the period. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd lifted its position in Humana by 58.5% in the second quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 2,381 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $582,000 after buying an additional 879 shares during the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on HUM. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Humana in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Leerink Partners decreased their price target on shares of Humana from $267.00 to $185.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of Humana from $180.00 to $195.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Barclays cut their price objective on Humana from $245.00 to $176.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Humana from $264.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Humana currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $222.09.

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.