PL Risk Blog

Is Humana Next on the List of Huge Acquisitions?

Written by Mike Smith | Mar 30, 2015 9:29:16 PM

According to reports originally published by Bloomberg Business, Louisville-based Humana Inc. could very possibly be an acquisition target. As a health and Medicare insurer, ageing baby boomers are currently driving significant business for the company, making them attractive to other healthcare agencies such as Aetna Inc. (AET) and Anthem Inc. (WLP). These two agencies are direct rivals to Humana within their segment.

Humana has recently been generating record revenue with aging U.S. baby boomers increasing enrollment in the government-sponsored Medicare program for the elderly. Insurers are also benefiting greatly from the expanded Medicaid coverage for the poor, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to Humana Medicare segment vice president George Renaudin, Humana is expecting approximately 3 million Medicare members this year.

With revenue of $48.5 billion in 2014 and employing about 44,200 workers, if Humana were sold it would mean one of the largest companies in Kentucky would be changing hands. As stated in additional articles regarding this Bloomberg story, only time will decide the fate of Humana Inc. as to whether it remains a buyers or seller in the U.S. insurance sector.

In the meantime, the company’s stock continues to rise on Wall Street. Last week it hit a 52-week high of $182.97 per share, twice. This was helped by Humana’s repurchase of some of its shares to drive up value.

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