J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Sells 10,796 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 30.9% in the first quarter, selling 10,796 shares and leaving it with 24,151 shares valued at about $6.5 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted their UNH positions, and hedge funds and other institutions still own 87.86% of the company’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall: multiple firms raised price targets or upgraded the stock, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $421.04.

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lessened its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 30.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 24,151 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 10,796 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $6,535,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UNH. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 9.4% in the first quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 9,038 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,446,000 after acquiring an additional 776 shares in the last quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 16.9% during the 1st quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC now owns 2,017 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Avion Wealth increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 24.4% during the first quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 801 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $216,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Persium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 165.1% in the first quarter. Persium Advisors LLC now owns 3,171 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $858,000 after buying an additional 1,975 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 526.4% during the 1st quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. now owns 17,494 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,734,000 after acquiring an additional 14,701 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Raymond James Financial raised UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $421.04.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $485 from $397 and kept an overweight rating, signaling confidence in further upside as the insurer’s recovery story gains traction. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight UnitedHealth’s rally, stronger technical setup, and expectations that management has been improving medical cost control and execution, which has kept investors focused on the company’s long-term growth path. Invezz article on UNH chart and rally
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary notes that the Trump administration’s higher-than-expected Medicare Advantage payment boost has also helped support the bullish case for managed-care stocks like UNH. Forbes article on insurer rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are waiting for second-quarter results to see whether UnitedHealth can maintain membership growth, manage rising medical costs, and meet earnings expectations after a period of volatility. Zacks article on Q2 earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: There is also some debate around preventive-care coverage trends and whether expanded coverage for Guardant’s Shield test could alter UNH’s care narrative, though the direct stock impact is uncertain. Yahoo Finance article on Guardant Shield coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and market watchers are warning that UNH’s sharp run-up could leave the stock vulnerable if earnings disappoint or if chart-based momentum fades after results. Kalkine article on UNH turning the corner

Insider Activity

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

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $429.34 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $389.90 billion, a PE ratio of 32.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $400.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $339.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $434.30.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued 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 company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.UnitedHealth Group's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

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

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.