Paralel Advisors LLC Acquires 656 Shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)

Paralel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) by 10.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 7,240 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 656 shares during the quarter. Paralel Advisors LLC’s holdings in Humana were worth $1,837,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HUM. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Humana during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Humana in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA lifted its position in shares of Humana by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 125 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Humana in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Atwood & Palmer Inc. boosted its stake in Humana by 64.5% in the fourth quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. now owns 153 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 92.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Humana Stock Performance

NYSE HUM traded up $1.62 on Thursday, hitting $287.15. The stock had a trading volume of 34,125 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,737,234. The company’s 50-day moving average is $265.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $270.92. The stock has a market cap of $34.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Humana Inc. has a one year low of $213.31 and a one year high of $406.46.

Humana (NYSE:HUM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The insurance provider reported ($2.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.26) by $0.10. Humana had a return on equity of 11.70% and a net margin of 1.02%. On average, analysts expect that Humana Inc. will post 16.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.885 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.23%. Humana’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on HUM. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Humana in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $326.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $283.00 price objective on shares of Humana in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Mizuho raised their target price on Humana from $305.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $290.00 target price on shares of Humana in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Humana from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $284.25.

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.