Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Reduces Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 34.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 86,356 shares and leaving it with 166,819 shares worth about $55.1 million.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, with EPS of $7.23 versus estimates of $6.76 and revenue of $111.65 billion versus expectations of $109.84 billion.
• Despite some mixed signals from insider and investor activity, analysts remain generally positive on UNH, with several firms raising price targets and MarketBeat showing a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $378.88.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lessened its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 34.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 166,819 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 86,356 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $55,069,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake 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 acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $377,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $393.65 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $316.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $318.20. The stock 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. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $404.15.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS 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 analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the subject of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Leerink Partners boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $327.00 to $373.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $378.88.

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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