Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Sells 1,982 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lessened its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 9.9% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,000 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,982 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,871,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 49.2% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 499,029 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $135,032,000 after acquiring an additional 164,523 shares during the period. Rossmore Private Capital boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 7.2% during the first quarter. Rossmore Private Capital now owns 2,284 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $618,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Sachetta LLC grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 24.6% in the 1st quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 354 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 15.9% during the 1st quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 12,337 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,338,000 after buying an additional 1,688 shares during the period. Finally, Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 144.3% during the first quarter. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 27,323 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,393,000 after acquiring an additional 16,139 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $425.05 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $399.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $338.98. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week high of $434.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $463 from $400 and kept an outperform rating, signaling continued upside potential ahead of earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare launched a Lifestyle Spending Account benefit through UHC Store, which could make UNH more attractive to employers by adding flexible wellness benefits and simplifying administration. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight bullish setup momentum into the company’s July 16 earnings report, with investors expecting earnings and guidance to remain important catalysts. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s home health program HouseCall was reported to be associated with fewer inpatient stays and ER visits, which is a positive operational sign but not an immediate market-moving event. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary also noted that UnitedHealth has delivered strong cash returns to shareholders over time, but some analysts are questioning whether the stock is now fully valued after its sharp recovery. Article
• Negative Sentiment: The broader healthcare sector was one of the weakest parts of the market today, and UNH was specifically cited as a drag on the Dow, which can weigh on the stock even if company-specific news is favorable. Article

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on UNH shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $373.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Bank of America raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $417.38.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.