Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Sells 42,860 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Manning & Napier Advisors LLC cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 14.2% in the first quarter, selling 42,860 shares and leaving it with 259,824 shares worth about $70.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with several analysts raising price targets; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $417.38.
• UnitedHealth reported strong quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, and recently increased its dividend to $2.32 per share quarterly, up from $2.21.

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 14.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 259,824 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 42,860 shares during the quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $70,306,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of UNH. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. UBS Group increased their price target 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. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $417.38.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UNH traded down $6.63 on Friday, reaching $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $399.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $338.88. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $434.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm'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 completion of 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 position. The sale 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 insiders.

Key Stories 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

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.

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