Humana Inc. (HUM) Stock Price & How to Invest
Short answer
You can invest in Humana (HUM) by buying shares or fractional shares at any major broker, through an ETF that holds it, or as one holding in a thematic basket. Humana is one of the largest Medicare Advantage health insurers in the United States, paired with its growing CenterWell healthcare-services arm, so the thesis rests on aging-population demand, a multi-year margin turnaround, and scale in government health programs. The biggest risk is the Medicare Advantage business itself: rising medical costs, softer star ratings that reduce CMS bonus payments, and shifting reimbursement and policy have pressured margins and earnings.
HUM stock price
As of 2026-06-26, Humana Inc. (HUM) last closed at $383.84, up 58.7% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $163.67 and $383.84.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Humana Inc.'s investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does Humana Inc. (HUM) do?
Humana Inc. is a Louisville-based health and well-being company best known as one of the two largest Medicare Advantage insurers in the country, alongside UnitedHealth. Its Insurance segment covers roughly 7.1 million individual and group Medicare Advantage members as of early 2026, plus Medicaid, military (TRICARE), and pharmacy-benefit members. The core economics turn on the medical loss ratio, the share of premium dollars paid out as medical claims, and on CMS star ratings, which determine quality-bonus payments that fund richer plan benefits.
What's driving Humana Inc. (HUM)?
Demographic tailwind in Medicare Advantage
The US population aged 65 and older keeps growing, and a rising share of seniors choose Medicare Advantage over traditional Medicare. Humana reported about 7.1 million Medicare Advantage members in early 2026, up roughly 22% year over year, and has targeted around 25% individual MA membership growth for the year. This long-run enrollment trend is the central reason the bull case exists.
CenterWell healthcare services
CenterWell combines pharmacy, senior primary care, and home health into a services arm that produced roughly $22.5 billion in revenue in 2025, with CenterWell Pharmacy alone near $13 billion. The strategy is to capture more of the healthcare dollar and coordinate care for Humana's own members, which can both add revenue and help manage medical costs over time.
Margin recovery and turnaround
After a period of elevated medical costs, management is targeting a multi-year margin rebuild, aiming to roughly double Medicare Advantage margin in 2026 and reach a sustainable level near 3% by 2028 through repricing plans, exiting unprofitable markets, and operating efficiency. The pace and durability of this recovery is the swing factor for future earnings.
Scale in government programs
Concentrating on Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and TRICARE gives Humana scale, data, and provider relationships in government-funded health coverage. That focus removed the lower-margin commercial group business and lets the company specialize, though it also concentrates the model around policy and reimbursement decisions made by federal and state programs.
What are the risks to Humana Inc. (HUM)?
The medical-cost trend is the dominant risk: when seniors use more care than priced for, the medical loss ratio rises and margins compress, which is what drove recent earnings pressure. Star ratings are a second lever, since a slip in ratings reduces CMS quality-bonus payments and can force benefit cuts that hurt retention; Humana's ratings softened heading into 2026. Medicare Advantage reimbursement and broader healthcare policy are set by the government and can change rate updates, risk-adjustment rules, or audit intensity. Finally, aggressive membership growth or repricing can pressure profitability or cause member attrition if benefits are trimmed too far.
How is Humana Inc. (HUM) valued? (approximate, June 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Humana Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$130 billion
- Adjusted EPS (2026 guidance): ~$9.00 or more
- Medical loss ratio (2026 outlook): ~92.75%
- Dividend yield: ~1.5%
- Price/Earnings (TTM): ~40x
- Market capitalization: ~$45 billion
These figures are approximate and tied to the June 2026 asOf date; insurer earnings can move sharply quarter to quarter with the medical-cost trend, and the trailing P/E looks high mainly because recent profits are depressed. Check Humana's latest filings and a current quote before relying on any single number.
Who competes with Humana Inc. (HUM)?
Large diversified managed care
UnitedHealth Group (UNH), the largest Medicare Advantage insurer, which pairs its insurance arm with Optum's services and pharmacy businesses in a model similar to Humana plus CenterWell.
Integrated insurer-pharmacy
CVS Health (CVS), which owns Aetna and a large pharmacy and PBM footprint and competes directly in Medicare Advantage.
Blue-affiliated and commercial-heavy insurers
Elevance Health (ELV), formerly Anthem, with a broad commercial, Medicaid, and growing Medicare presence.
Diversified health-services insurer
The Cigna Group (CI), strong in pharmacy services via Evernorth and commercial coverage, with a smaller Medicare Advantage footprint than Humana.
How to invest in Humana Inc. (HUM)
There are three common ways to get HUM exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it, which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic basket, so HUM sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the basket route. Describe a thesis where HUM fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
The bottom line on Humana Inc. (HUM)
If you believe an aging US population keeps driving Medicare Advantage enrollment, that Humana can rebuild its margins back toward its targeted levels, and that CenterWell's pharmacy, primary-care, and home-health businesses add durable value, then HUM is a way to express that view. The counterweight is that profitability hinges on the medical-cost trend, star ratings, and government reimbursement, all of which are outside the company's full control. How it fits depends on your own goals, time horizon, and how much exposure you already have to healthcare and managed care.
More on Humana Inc. (HUM)
Whether HUM is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is HUM a buy?, and where the stock could go from here in the HUM stock forecast.
For income investors, whether HUM pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does HUM pay a dividend?
Build a basket around HUM with Walnut
Use Humana Inc. as one constituent in a thematic basket Walnut's AI helps you assemble. Describe a thesis you believe in, the AI proposes the holdings and weights, and you approve before any broker order.
FAQ
Is HUM a good stock to buy right now?
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That depends on your goals and risk tolerance, and this is not advice. The bull case is the aging-population tailwind, Humana's Medicare Advantage scale, CenterWell, and a margin recovery toward roughly 3% by 2028. The bear case is that medical costs, softer star ratings, and reimbursement changes have already pressured earnings and could keep margins thin. Weigh both and your own situation.
What does Humana do?
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Humana is a health insurer focused on government programs, especially Medicare Advantage, where it covers about 7.1 million members. It also serves Medicaid and military TRICARE members. Through its CenterWell arm it operates pharmacy, senior primary care, and home-health businesses, aiming to coordinate care and capture more of the healthcare dollar for its own members.
Does HUM pay a dividend?
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Yes. Humana pays a quarterly dividend of about $0.885 per share, which works out to roughly a 1.5% yield at a share price near $380 in mid-2026. The company has paid and generally raised its dividend for many consecutive years and also repurchases stock, though dividend policy can change with earnings and is set by the board.
Why did Humana stock drop?
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Humana fell sharply from 2024 into 2025 as Medicare Advantage medical costs ran higher than priced, compressing margins and forcing earnings cuts. A downgrade in CMS star ratings reduced future quality-bonus payments, adding pressure. The stock hit a 52-week low near $163 before recovering toward $380 in 2026 as investors weighed the turnaround plan against ongoing cost and ratings risk.
How can I buy Humana stock?
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You can buy HUM through any major brokerage by searching the ticker and placing a market or limit order, and many brokers support fractional shares so you can invest a set dollar amount. You can also gain exposure indirectly through healthcare or managed-care ETFs that hold Humana, or hold it as one position inside a thematic basket alongside related companies.
What is a medical loss ratio and why does it matter for HUM?
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The medical loss ratio (MLR) is the share of premium dollars an insurer pays out as medical claims. A lower MLR generally means more is left for administration and profit. Humana guides to an MLR around 92.75% for 2026, so even small swings in member medical usage can meaningfully move margins and earnings, making it a closely watched metric.
How do Medicare Advantage star ratings affect Humana?
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CMS rates Medicare Advantage plans on a star scale, and higher ratings earn quality-bonus payments that fund richer member benefits and aid retention. When Humana's star ratings slipped for 2026, it reduced expected bonus payments and created an earnings headwind. Improving the share of members in highly rated plans is a key part of the company's recovery effort.
What is CenterWell?
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CenterWell is Humana's healthcare-services brand, spanning pharmacy, senior-focused primary care clinics, and home health. It generated about $22.5 billion in segment revenue in 2025, with CenterWell Pharmacy alone near $13 billion. The strategy is to deliver and coordinate care for Humana's members, which can add revenue and help manage the medical costs that drive insurance margins.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Humana Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.