Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Has $76.46 Million Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities Group increased its UnitedHealth stake by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, holding 231,613 shares valued at about $76.46 million. Several other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions in UNH, with institutional ownership standing at 87.86%.
• Analysts have turned more bullish on UnitedHealth, with Bank of America upgrading the stock to Buy and Morgan Stanley raising its price target to $453. The broader analyst consensus remains a Moderate Buy, with an average target price of $404.42.
• UnitedHealth reported solid quarterly results and boosted its dividend, posting $7.23 EPS on $111.65 billion in revenue and raising the quarterly payout by 5% to $2.32 per share. The company said this marks its 16th straight year of dividend increases.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 231,613 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 4,939 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $76,458,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of UNH. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the fourth 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 acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More UnitedHealth Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth to Buy from Neutral and lifted its price target to $450, citing improving medical cost trends and a better risk/reward setup ahead of earnings. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also raised its price target on UNH to $453 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the stock has room to recover. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth raised its quarterly dividend by 5% to $2.32 per share, marking its 16th consecutive year of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash flow despite a tough insurance backdrop. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple market reports noted that analysts are increasingly optimistic on managed-care names, pointing to softer medical cost and utilization trends that could support earnings recovery for UNH. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also provided updates on its annual shareholder meeting and board actions, with shareholders re-electing directors and approving executive compensation; these items are routine and do not appear to be the main driver of trading. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market headlines show weakness in tech stocks and mixed futures, but these macro moves appear to be secondary to the strong company-specific buying in UNH today. Article Title

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $397.25 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $345.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $323.05. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week high of $404.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $360.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

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 for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.20 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Truist Financial upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $420.00 to $450.00 in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $404.42.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Company 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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