EU and US could reach trade deal this weekend - Reuters
Investing.com - UBS reiterated its Neutral rating and $285.00 price target on Humana (NYSE:HUM) following a legal setback for the health insurer. The company, currently trading near its 52-week low at $224.13, shows signs of undervaluation according to InvestingPro analysis.
The US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled in favor of the US Department of Health and Human Services, dismissing Humana’s case without prejudice.
According to UBS, the court dismissed the case primarily because Humana failed to exhaust all administrative remedies before filing the lawsuit, making the federal suit premature.
Humana has the option to re-file the litigation now that the administrative appeals process is complete, though it remains unclear if the company will pursue this course of action.
The rating confirmation comes as Humana had already factored potential losses from the Stars litigation into its 2026 Medicare Advantage bids, resulting in no changes to UBS’s financial estimates for the company.
In other recent news, Humana’s lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its 2025 Medicare Advantage star ratings was dismissed by a Texas federal court. The court ruled that Humana had filed the lawsuit prematurely, having not exhausted all administrative appeals. This decision will significantly impact Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans, with the percentage of members in plans rated four stars or higher expected to drop from 94% in 2024 to 25% in 2025. Analysts from Guggenheim, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Leerink Partners, Raymond (NSE:RYMD) James, and Barclays (LON:BARC) have weighed in on the impact, with most maintaining their ratings on Humana stock. Guggenheim and Raymond James highlighted the potential earnings headwind of $2 billion to $3 billion and $15 per share, respectively, due to the rating downgrade. Despite the setback, Raymond James and Guggenheim remain optimistic about Humana’s long-term earnings growth, projecting a recovery in star ratings by 2027 and 2028. Barclays and Morgan Stanley noted that the lawsuit loss was already factored into Humana’s earnings projections, with Barclays maintaining a 2026 earnings per share estimate of $13.03. Humana is exploring options to appeal or refile the case after completing the required administrative processes.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.