UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stake Boosted by Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden increased its UnitedHealth stake by 55% in the first quarter, adding 132,930 shares to bring its total to 374,508 shares worth about $101.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple firms reiterating or raising ratings and a consensus target price of $411.42; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy rating overall.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings of $7.23 per share on $111.65 billion in revenue, and it also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund grew its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 55.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 374,508 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 132,930 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises about 0.6% of Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $101,338,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on UNH. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $411.42.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted in an article arguing that its turnaround is continuing into the upcoming Q2 report, which suggests investors are looking for improving fundamentals and potential upside if execution stays on track. UnitedHealth Group: The Turnaround Continues Into The Q2 Report
• Positive Sentiment: Guardant Health said UnitedHealth will begin covering its Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening on August 1, a move that may reinforce UNH’s reputation for supporting preventive care and could be viewed favorably by investors. UnitedHealth Group Now Covers Guardant Health’s Shield Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on UNH being “attracting investor attention” and on its Q1 earnings relative to peers, but these pieces were mostly informational rather than new catalysts, so they likely contributed to trading interest more than a decisive price move. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know Q1 Earnings Highs And Lows: UnitedHealth NYSE: UNH Vs The Rest Of The Health Insurance Providers Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: One piece warned that UnitedHealth faces a “Medicare reset,” which points to potential pressure on the company’s Medicare Advantage economics and could weigh on sentiment if reimbursement or margin assumptions soften. UnitedHealth Group NYSE: UNH Faces Medicare Reset

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $424.64 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $385.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.07, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $391.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $335.01. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $430.20.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.20 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

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

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.

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.