LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. Acquires 14,701 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• LGT Fund Management boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 526.4% in the first quarter, buying 14,701 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 17,494 shares worth about $4.73 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive: multiple firms raised price targets, including RBC to $463, and UnitedHealth now carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating with an average target of $417.38.
• UnitedHealth recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, raised its dividend to $2.32 per share, and continues to trade near its 52-week high even as analysts watch the stock ahead of the July 16 earnings report.

LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 526.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,494 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after acquiring an additional 14,701 shares during the period. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,734,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its position 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 buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $463 from $400 and kept an outperform rating, signaling continued upside potential ahead of earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare launched a Lifestyle Spending Account benefit through UHC Store, which could make UNH more attractive to employers by adding flexible wellness benefits and simplifying administration. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight bullish setup momentum into the company’s July 16 earnings report, with investors expecting earnings and guidance to remain important catalysts. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s home health program HouseCall was reported to be associated with fewer inpatient stays and ER visits, which is a positive operational sign but not an immediate market-moving event. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary also noted that UnitedHealth has delivered strong cash returns to shareholders over time, but some analysts are questioning whether the stock is now fully valued after its sharp recovery. Article
• Negative Sentiment: The broader healthcare sector was one of the weakest parts of the market today, and UNH was specifically cited as a drag on the Dow, which can weigh on the stock even if company-specific news is favorable. Article

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $463.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $373.00 to $429.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $417.38.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock traded down $6.63 during trading on Friday, hitting $425.05. The company had a trading volume of 3,797,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $399.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $338.88. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $434.30. 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 market capitalization of $386.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $7.20 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group 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 directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group 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.