iA Global Asset Management Inc. Acquires 44,683 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• iA Global Asset Management increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 17.1% in the first quarter, buying 44,683 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 305,743 shares worth about $82.7 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on UNH remains constructive, with several analysts raising price targets and the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average target price of $411.42.
• UnitedHealth recently beat quarterly earnings expectations and raised its dividend to $2.32 per share from $2.21, while shares were trading near their 52-week high at $415.97.

iA Global Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 17.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 305,743 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 44,683 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 1.2% of iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $82,731,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,033,000 after acquiring an additional 2,324 shares during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $377,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on UNH. Mizuho upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $411.42.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE UNH opened at $415.97 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $387.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $333.79. The stock has a market cap of $377.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.64. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $427.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $2.32 dividend. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group and kept a Buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has upside after a strong recent run. BofA Raises PT on UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Keeps a Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley said UnitedHealth is likely to beat second-quarter earnings expectations, citing favorable utilization trends that could support results and sentiment heading into the report. UnitedHealth to Top Second-Quarter Earnings Views on Favorable Utilization Trends, Morgan Stanley Says
• Positive Sentiment: UNH has continued to attract momentum traders after a sharp rally, with coverage noting a golden cross technical pattern and shares trading near recent highs, which can draw additional buying interest. Up by 80%, does the UnitedHealth Group have more upside?
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Nebraska announced $385,000 in community investments to expand support for older adults, caregivers, people with disabilities, and workforce programs. The move is positive for reputation, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Nebraska Invests $385,000 to Expand Programs to Support Older Adults, Caregivers and People with Disabilities
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles highlighting UNH as a stock to watch and a potential buy before second-quarter results reflect investor attention ahead of earnings, but they do not add new fundamental information. Should You Buy UnitedHealth Group Stock Before July 16?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader commentary noted that Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts on some stocks in the healthcare group, which could keep some caution in the market even if UNH-specific sentiment remains constructive. 2 Unpopular Stocks That Deserve a Second Chance and 1 We Avoid

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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