Humana Inc. (HUM), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, provides medical and specialty insurance products. With a market cap of $36.6 billion, the company offers coordinated health care through health maintenance organizations, point-of-service plans, and administrative services products.
Shares of medicare giant have outperformed the broader market over the past year. HUM has gained 30.8% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 27.3%. In 2026, HUM stock is up 17.7%, surpassing the SPX’s 9.6% rise on a YTD basis.
Zooming in further, HUM’s outperformance is also apparent compared to the iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (IHF). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 9.8% over the past year. Moreover, HUM’s double-digit returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 7.4% gains over the same time frame.
On Apr. 29, HUM shares closed up by 5.8% after reporting its Q1 results. Its adjusted EPS of $10.31 surpassed Wall Street expectations of $9.97. The company’s revenue was $39.7 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts of $39.5 billion.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect HUM’s EPS to decline 47.7% to $8.97 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 27 analysts covering HUM stock, the consensus is a “Hold.” That’s based on seven “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” 16 “Holds,” and three “Strong Sells.”
This configuration is more bearish than a month ago, with an overall “Moderate Buy” rating, consisting two analysts suggesting a “Strong Sell.”
On May 13, Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) kept a “Neutral” rating on HUM and raised the price target to $254.
HUM is trading above both the mean analyst target of $239.91 and the Street-high target of $290, reflecting market optimism.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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