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Humana (HUM) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know

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Humana (HUM - Free Report) closed at $447.13 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.74% move from the prior day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.23%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.84%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 2.24%.

Heading into today, shares of the health insurer had lost 13.84% over the past month, lagging the Medical sector's gain of 2.55% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.67% in that time.

Wall Street will be looking for positivity from Humana as it approaches its next earnings report date. The company is expected to report EPS of $8.88, up 2.42% from the prior-year quarter. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $25.82 billion, up 9.12% from the year-ago period.

HUM's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $28.28 per share and revenue of $102.16 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +12.04% and +10%, respectively.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Humana should also be noted by investors. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.04% higher. Humana is holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) right now.

In terms of valuation, Humana is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 15.69. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 16.57.

Investors should also note that HUM has a PEG ratio of 1.16 right now. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Medical - HMOs industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.16 as of yesterday's close.

The Medical - HMOs industry is part of the Medical sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 80, putting it in the top 32% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow HUM in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.


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