UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Upgraded to Buy by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday morning.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on UNH. Truist Financial lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. HSBC lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $580.00 to $610.00 in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $555.00 to $615.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group raised UnitedHealth Group from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the company from $481.00 to $647.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $595.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $614.17.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE UNH opened at $590.20 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $545.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.08, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.59. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $436.38 and a one year high of $593.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The business’s fifty day moving average is $548.35 and its 200-day moving average is $512.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.80 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.66 by $0.14. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.55% and a net margin of 3.66%. The company had revenue of $98.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $98.73 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $6.14 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 27.67 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $2.10 per share. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 51.34%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 2,851 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $569.88, for a total value of $1,624,727.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 29,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,812,029.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 2,851 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $569.88, for a total transaction of $1,624,727.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 29,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,812,029.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,500 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $579.03, for a total value of $868,545.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,507,748.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 4,468 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,352,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC. grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1,337.3% during the 4th quarter. GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC. now owns 97,679 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $51,425,000 after buying an additional 90,883 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 6,585 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,467,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Aveo Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 23.8% during the 4th quarter. Aveo Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,164 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,139,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 9258 Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. 9258 Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,273 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,250,000 after buying an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.