Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. Increases Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors boosted its UnitedHealth stake by 144.3% in the first quarter, ending with 27,323 shares valued at about $7.4 million.
• Several analysts turned more bullish on the stock, with Bank of America raising its target to $475 and Argus upgrading UNH to buy; the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy.
• UnitedHealth reported solid recent results and shareholder returns, including Q1 earnings of $7.23 per share beating estimates and a higher quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share.

Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 144.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,323 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 16,139 shares during the period. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $7,393,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $30,238,162,000 after buying an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $14,931,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,834 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after purchasing an additional 824,120 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,215,660,000 after buying an additional 680,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,158,734,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155,162 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Bank of America upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Argus raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research 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 issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $417.38.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $425.05 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a PE ratio of 32.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $434.30. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $399.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $338.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.UnitedHealth Group's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 70.09%.

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.

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