UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Stephens Inc. AR

Stephens Inc. AR lowered its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 3.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 39,963 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,455 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $10,867,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hardy Reed LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the first quarter. Hardy Reed LLC now owns 2,654 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $718,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.8% during the first quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 806 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 3,201 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $866,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Revisor Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,671 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $994,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 12.1% during the first quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 3,346 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $905,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock traded up $6.79 on Tuesday, reaching $424.78. 1,074,155 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,580,269. The firm has a market cap of $385.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $430.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company’s 50-day moving average is $392.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $335.60.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 70.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on UNH shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $453.00 to $468.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Argus upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. HSBC increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $414.75.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth is shifting its strategy toward profitability over rapid growth, with improving margins, stronger earnings, and Optum expansion seen as supporting a longer-term turnaround. UnitedHealth Bets on Profitability Over Growth: Will It Pay Off?
• Positive Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target on UNH to $380 and maintained a “hold” rating, reflecting continued analyst attention and a more favorable valuation view than before. HSBC raises UnitedHealth price target
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent analyst targets remain well above prior levels, including targets in the mid-$400s, which supports the view that Wall Street still sees recovery potential in the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth became the first major commercial insurer to cover Guardant Health’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening in eligible adults 45 and older, a move that could strengthen its role in emerging preventative care and improve access to innovative screening tools. UnitedHealth Group Opens Shield Blood Test Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary continues to frame UNH as a long-term momentum name and a defensive healthcare holding, suggesting investors still view it as a quality large-cap stock with stable fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock declined in the latest trading session even as the broader market improved, indicating some near-term profit-taking or investor caution despite the favorable long-term setup. UnitedHealth Group Stock Declines While Market Improves

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.

UnitedHealthcare is the company’s benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.