UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Vantage Investment Partners LLC

Key Points

• Vantage Investment Partners LLC reduced its UnitedHealth Group stake by 2.3% in the first quarter, selling 7,016 shares and ending with 301,247 shares valued at about $81.5 million.
• UnitedHealth reported strong recent fundamentals, including Q1 earnings of $7.23 per share versus $6.76 expected and revenue of $111.65 billion, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying an average “Moderate Buy” rating, though the shares slipped $6.63 to $425.05 in Friday trading.

Vantage Investment Partners LLC lowered its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 2.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 301,247 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 7,016 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up approximately 5.6% of Vantage Investment Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Vantage Investment Partners LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $81,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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 Stock Performance

UNH stock traded down $6.63 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $399.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $338.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $386.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $434.30. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 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 business had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is currently 70.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Bank of America increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $417.38.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.