Renaissance Technologies LLC Boosts Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Renaissance Technologies increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 45.4% in the first quarter, buying 361,678 additional shares and bringing its total to 1,158,428 shares worth about $313.5 million.
• Several other hedge funds also boosted or initiated positions in UNH, and institutional investors now own 87.86% of the stock, underscoring strong fund interest.
• Analysts have turned more optimistic after UnitedHealth’s latest earnings beat expectations, with multiple firms raising ratings or price targets; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target of $455.92.

Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 45.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,158,428 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 361,678 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group accounts for about 0.5% of Renaissance Technologies LLC's holdings, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 0.13% of UnitedHealth Group worth $313,459,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UNH. Raymond James Financial raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. BMO Capital Markets set a $512.00 price target on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded UnitedHealth Group from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and raised their price target for the company from $287.00 to $453.00 in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $455.92.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $420.40 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $408.00 and a 200 day moving average of $345.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $461.62. The firm has a market cap of $381.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.05, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. The business had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The company's quarterly revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 EPS for the current fiscal 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 dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.72%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s latest quarter beat profit estimates and management raised full-year earnings guidance, reinforcing confidence that the business is recovering after earlier pressure. UnitedHealth’s earnings comeback hides risk Wall Street can’t price
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan reportedly increased its price target on UNH to $516, suggesting analysts see further upside following the improved earnings outlook. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Increases UnitedHealth Group NYSE: UNH Price Target to $516.00
• Positive Sentiment: UNH has also been highlighted in multiple stock-screening and momentum pieces as a “buy” or strong momentum name, which can add to near-term trading interest. Is Trending Stock UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth is being widely watched by retail and institutional investors after the strong quarter, but some of the recent articles are primarily commentary rather than new company-specific developments. Is Trending Stock UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) a Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Even with the upbeat earnings update, investors are still focused on risk factors such as medical cost inflation and margin pressure across the managed-care sector, which could limit how far the rally extends. Can Humana Beat Q2 Earnings Estimates on Growing Premiums?

About UnitedHealth Group

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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