Earnings Preview: Humana's EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise
Humana (NYSE: HUM) announces its next round of earnings this Monday, October 31, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Humana's third quarter earnings.
Earnings and Revenue:
Wall Street expects an EPS of $2.02/share and revenues of $9.25 billion. Humana's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of $2.01/share on revenues of $8.42 billion. We'll have to wait for Monday to see if the company falls in line with analyst expectations and reports an estimated increase in both EPS and revenue from the year-ago quarter.
Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:
| Quarter | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 |
| EPS Estimate | $2.07 | $1.45 | $0.80 | $1.67 |
| EPS Actual | $2.50 | $1.55 | $1.65 | $2.01 |
Stock Performance:
At last check, shares of Humana were trading at $79.70. Shares are up 46.5% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 39.8%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably satisfied going into this earnings release.
- Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement
Average Stock Rating:
The average rating by analysts is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly over the past three months.
Competitors:
Wondering how some of the other healthcare companies are doing? Here are a few of Humana's peers in that sector.
- Aetna (NYSE: AET): Moderate Buy with a $1.35 recent quarter EPS
- CIGNA (NYSE: CI): Hold with a $1.53 recent quarter EPS
- Health Net (NYSE: HNT): Hold with a $0.76 recent quarter EPS
- Triple-S Management (GTS): Hold with a $0.39 recent quarter EPS
The medical-HMO company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 0.9% during the current fiscal year.
Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Humana is a managed health care company that offers health and supplemental benefit products.
Take Action:
That's your advanced look at Humana's upcoming earnings numbers -- be ready to take quick action if the company's report contains any surprises. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.
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