UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its UnitedHealth stake by 15.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 69,930 shares and leaving it with 393,862 shares worth about $130.0 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on UNH, with analysts citing multiple price-target increases and a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target of $378.88.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $7.23 on revenue of $111.65 billion, while also maintaining a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 15.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 393,862 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 69,930 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $130,031,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 5,979 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,974,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period. Conning Inc. raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 104,183 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $34,392,000 after buying an additional 3,879 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 124,190 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $40,996,000 after buying an additional 1,205 shares in the last quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,669 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,211,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $395,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. One research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $378.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $398.84 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $314.78 and its 200-day moving average is $318.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $362.20 billion, a PE ratio of 30.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 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 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $404.15.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.UnitedHealth Group's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s recent earnings “double beat” and improved margins have renewed bullish momentum, with several analysts and commentators arguing the stock still looks undervalued despite the rebound. UnitedHealth: Beaten Down, Not Broken
• Positive Sentiment: UNH is being highlighted as a strong momentum stock, which can support continued buying interest from traders and screens focused on relative strength. Here's Why UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan and other analysts remain constructive, with price-target increases reinforcing the view that the stock’s fundamentals are improving and that further upside is possible. Here’s What Analysts Are Saying About UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple recent articles are simply drawing attention to UNH as one of the market’s most watched healthcare names, which reflects elevated interest but not necessarily a new fundamental catalyst. Investors Heavily Search UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage is more about stock-picking comparisons and sector commentary than a direct change in UNH’s business outlook, so the stock impact is likely limited. Forget UnitedHealth: Two Stocks To Buy Now
• Neutral Sentiment: UNH’s move to a new 52-week high has attracted attention, but the article frames the key question as whether the stock is already too far extended after its recent run. UnitedHealth Stock (UNH) Hits a New 52-Week High Today – Is It Too Late to Buy?

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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