Griffin Asset Management Inc. Sells 6,978 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Griffin Asset Management reduced its UnitedHealth Group stake by 43.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,978 shares and leaving it with 9,081 shares worth about $2.998 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 87.86% of UNH shares held by institutions, and several other hedge funds also increased or initiated positions during the period.
• Analysts remain broadly positive despite recent volatility: multiple firms raised price targets or upgraded the stock, and UnitedHealth’s latest earnings beat estimates on both EPS and revenue.

Griffin Asset Management Inc. cut its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 43.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,081 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 6,978 shares during the quarter. Griffin Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $2,998,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $440 from $410 and reiterated an Outperform rating, signaling renewed confidence in the managed care leader and helping support the stock. UnitedHealth Price Target Lifted to $440 at Mizuho: The Managed Care Storm Clouds Are Clearing
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted multiple earnings estimates for UNH, including FY2027 and several quarterly forecasts, suggesting improving profit expectations over the next few years. MarketBeat UnitedHealth Group page
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also points to Wall Street analysts seeing further upside over the next 12 months, reinforcing the view that the stock may have more room to run. Wall Street predicts UnitedHealth stock price for next 12 months
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s latest earnings showed solid underlying performance, with Q1 results beating estimates on both EPS and revenue, which continues to provide a fundamental backstop for the shares. MarketBeat UnitedHealth Group page
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment was hurt after Berkshire Hathaway, tied to Greg Abel, exited its entire UNH position, creating concern that a major long-term holder sees less near-term appeal. UnitedHealth Shares Fall After Berkshire Dumps Entire Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Related articles highlight that Berkshire’s exit triggered a stock slide and fresh scrutiny on headwinds facing the company, even though some analysts argue the selloff may be overdone. UnitedHealth Under the Microscope After Berkshire Pulls the Plug

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of 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. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Leerink Partners upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $385.39.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $383.30 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $348.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.64. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $404.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $322.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $318.86.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

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

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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