Carnegie Investment Counsel Sells 3,048 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Carnegie Investment Counsel trimmed its UNH stake by 2.8% in the first quarter, selling 3,048 shares and ending with 104,832 shares valued at about $27.23 million.
• UnitedHealth’s recent fundamentals were solid: the company beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, and it raised its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share, or $9.28 annually.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish on the stock, with several firms raising price targets and consensus ratings sitting at “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $417.38.

Carnegie Investment Counsel lowered its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 2.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 104,832 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 3,048 shares during the quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $27,230,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm'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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $463.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $453.00 to $468.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. HSBC lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $417.38.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.5%

NYSE UNH traded down $6.63 during trading on Friday, reaching $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The stock has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $434.30. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $399.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $338.88.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The firm 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%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 70.09%.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

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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