Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Cuts Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Sequoia Financial Advisors cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 6.2% in the first quarter, selling 3,600 shares and leaving it with 54,101 shares valued at about $14.6 million.
• UnitedHealth’s latest results were solid, with quarterly EPS of $7.23 beating estimates and revenue of $111.65 billion topping expectations; the company also reaffirmed FY 2026 guidance around $18.25 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly positive, highlighted by RBC raising its price target to $463 and maintaining an outperform rating, while the stock also benefits from a recently increased quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share.

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 6.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 54,101 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 3,600 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $14,639,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after buying an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $14,931,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,834 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $7,457,723,000 after buying an additional 824,120 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,215,660,000 after acquiring an additional 680,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,158,734,000 after buying an additional 1,155,162 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about 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 Price Performance

NYSE:UNH traded down $6.63 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $434.30. The company has a market capitalization of $386.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $399.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $338.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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 business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change 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%. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is 70.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $463.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Argus upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $417.38.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

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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