Candriam S.C.A. Lowers Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. reduced its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 23.1%, owning 291,758 shares after selling 87,423 shares in the first quarter.
• UnitedHealth Group's quarterly earnings report revealed an EPS of $4.08, missing analysts' expectations of $4.45.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share, with an annualized yield of 2.9%.

Candriam S.C.A. reduced its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 23.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 291,758 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 87,423 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 1.0% of Candriam S.C.A.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $152,808,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Fosun International Ltd grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.9% in the first quarter. Fosun International Ltd now owns 5,157 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $2,701,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 25.5% in the first quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 85,563 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $44,814,000 after acquiring an additional 17,390 shares in the last quarter. TFB Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.7% in the first quarter. TFB Advisors LLC now owns 1,272 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $666,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 67.8% in the first quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. now owns 886 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $464,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the first quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 45,632 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $23,900,000 after acquiring an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 589 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.00, for a total transaction of $179,645.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 10,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,171,390. The trade was a 5.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.5%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $303.77 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $289.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $393.55. The company has a market cap of $275.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.43. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week 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.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.45 by ($0.37). The firm had revenue of $111.62 billion for 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.80 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 16.000- EPS. Analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on UNH shares. TD Securities restated a "hold" rating and set a $308.00 target price (down previously from $520.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $306.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $310.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $355.00 to $286.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $367.71.

UnitedHealth Group 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.

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