Viking Fund Management LLC Buys 2,000 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Viking Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 50% during the second quarter, now owning 6,000 shares worth approximately $1.87 million.
• Analysts have mixed ratings for UnitedHealth Group, with target prices ranging from $267.00 to $358.95, reflecting varied outlooks on the stock's potential.
• UnitedHealth Group's recent earnings report revealed an EPS of $4.08, falling short of expectations, while the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $2.21 to be paid to shareholders.

Viking Fund Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 50.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,000 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,872,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 685.7% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 416.7% during the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 62 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Copia Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the first quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp VA ADV bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE UNH traded up $1.90 during trading on Friday, reaching $336.72. The company's stock had a trading volume of 13,528,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,748,202. The stock has a market capitalization of $304.96 billion, a PE ratio of 14.59, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.45. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $630.73. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $295.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $364.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.45 by ($0.37). UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 23.32% and a net margin of 5.04%.The company had revenue of $111.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.80 EPS. UnitedHealth Group's quarterly revenue was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 16.000- EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 38.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $379.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. KeyCorp decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Baird R W cut UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $355.00 to $286.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $358.95.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.