Bailard Inc. Has $19.88 Million Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Bailard Inc. cut its UNH stake by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, but still held 60,224 shares valued at about $19.88 million at quarter-end.
• UnitedHealth beat quarterly expectations, reporting $7.23 EPS on $111.65 billion in revenue, both ahead of analyst estimates, while also reaffirming full-year EPS expectations around 18.29.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on the stock, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy; UNH also continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share.

Bailard Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 60,224 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 3,685 shares during the quarter. Bailard Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $19,881,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $377,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $384.40 on Tuesday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $308.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $317.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $349.09 billion, a PE ratio of 29.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $387.21.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced 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 business had revenue of $111.65 billion for 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 firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is 66.77%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UNH. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. 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 report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $378.88.

UnitedHealth Group 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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