Stephens Inc. AR Purchases 9,617 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 30.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 9,617 shares and bringing its total position to 41,418 shares valued at about $13.7 million.
• UnitedHealth reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $7.23 beating estimates and revenue of $111.65 billion topping expectations, while also maintaining a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on the stock, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy, alongside an average target price of $378.88.

Stephens Inc. AR lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 30.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 41,418 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after acquiring an additional 9,617 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $13,705,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,059,000. Phoenix Financial Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% in the 3rd quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $14,282,000 after buying an additional 22,137 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 59.1% during the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 12,380 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,275,000 after purchasing an additional 4,600 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 43.1% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 287,132 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $99,147,000 after purchasing an additional 86,432 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $13,691,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $393.65 on Friday. The stock has a market cap 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $404.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $316.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $318.53.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company 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 company earned $7.20 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 66.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on UNH. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $411.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $395.00 price target (up from $370.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $378.88.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 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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