Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Increases Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 17.7% in Q1, now owning 277,048 shares worth approximately $145 million.
• UnitedHealth Group's recent earnings report revealed EPS of $4.08, missing estimates, with quarterly revenue reaching $111.62 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share, with a yield of 2.9%, highlighting a current payout ratio of 38.30%.

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 17.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 277,048 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 41,753 shares during the quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $145,104,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 12.2% during the fourth quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 26,745 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $13,529,000 after purchasing an additional 2,917 shares during the last quarter. Topsail Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $597,000. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 85.0% in the fourth quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 336,466 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $170,205,000 after acquiring an additional 154,565 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE:UNH traded up $3.7480 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $307.0980. The stock had a trading volume of 14,867,565 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,438,662. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $630.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $288.39 and a 200 day moving average of $387.54. The company has a market capitalization of $278.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.31, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.43.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.45 by ($0.37). The firm had revenue of $111.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.75 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 23.32%. The business's revenue was up 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.80 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 16.000- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is 38.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNH. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $306.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $353.00 to $317.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Mizuho cut their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $515.00 to $350.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Finally, HSBC restated a "reduce" rating and set a $270.00 price objective (down previously from $490.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $365.38.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 589 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.00, for a total transaction of $179,645.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 10,398 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,171,390. This represents a 5.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

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.