Guardian Capital LLC Makes New Investment in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Guardian Capital LLC opened a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter, buying 3,797 shares worth about $1.25 million. The stake represents roughly 1.1% of its portfolio.
• Several analysts recently raised price targets on UNH, with firms like Wells Fargo, Oppenheimer, and JPMorgan turning more bullish. The stock’s consensus rating remains Moderate Buy, with an average target price of $378.88.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, posting $7.23 per share versus estimates of $6.76 and revenue of $111.65 billion. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share, or $8.84 annually.

Guardian Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 3,797 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock, valued at approximately $1,253,000. UnitedHealth Group accounts for approximately 1.1% of Guardian Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UNH. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $378.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank slightly raised its earnings estimates for UnitedHealth and kept a Buy rating, reinforcing the view that the company’s profit outlook remains solid. MarketBeat UNH report
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary remains upbeat after UnitedHealth’s strong first-quarter results, with analysts and market watchers pointing to a substantial rebound since March lows and improved investor confidence in the stock’s longer-term earnings power. Seeking Alpha article
• Neutral Sentiment: The broader market tone was positive, with major indexes closing higher and hitting new highs, which may have helped sentiment across large-cap healthcare stocks.
• Negative Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it sold several smaller holdings, including UnitedHealth, which may raise concerns that a high-profile investor is reducing exposure to the stock. Reuters article

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $393.65 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $404.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $357.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $316.82 and a 200-day moving average of $318.53.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is currently 66.77%.

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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