Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Sells 364,305 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management reduced its UnitedHealth Group stake by 38.2% in Q1, selling 364,305 shares and leaving it with 589,241 shares valued at about $159.4 million.
• Despite the selling by one investor, institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other institutions holding 87.86% of UnitedHealth’s shares, and several other funds added to their positions during the quarter.
• Wall Street sentiment is still constructive: analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus on UNH, with recent price-target hikes from firms like Truist, JPMorgan, and Bank of America, while the company also recently beat earnings expectations and raised its quarterly dividend.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. cut its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 38.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 589,241 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 364,305 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.06% of UnitedHealth Group worth $159,443,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Consilium Wealth Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 7.2% during the first quarter. Consilium Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 2,517 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $681,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 8,174 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $2,212,000 after buying an additional 1,263 shares in the last quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $208,000. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 17.9% during the first quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management now owns 2,844 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $770,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares during the period. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 13.0% during the 1st quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC now owns 3,092 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $833,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Truist Financial increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $410.79.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $475 from $450 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling additional upside from current levels. Benzinga article on price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted UnitedHealth Group as a top long-term value stock, which may be supporting sentiment among growth-at-a-reasonable-price investors. Zacks article on long-term value stock
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer recommending UNH as a buy added to the upbeat tone around the stock. Motley Fool article on Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: UNH also reached a proposed FTC settlement over insulin rebating practices, which could reduce regulatory uncertainty if finalized. Yahoo Finance article on FTC settlement
• Neutral Sentiment: Several additional pieces described UnitedHealth as steady in healthcare or discussed whether it is a buy, but did not add a major new catalyst beyond the generally favorable sentiment. Kalkine Media article on steady performance

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $405.86 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $379.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $331.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $415.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $368.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.64.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $2.32 dividend. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is 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.

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