UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Raised to $325.00 at Bank of America

Key Points

• Bank of America has raised the price target for UnitedHealth Group from $290.00 to $325.00, indicating a potential upside of 6.90% from its previous close.
• UnitedHealth Group's stock has seen varied ratings from analysts, with three giving it a sell rating, seven a hold rating, and fifteen a buy rating.
• The company reported earnings of $4.08 per share for the last quarter, which was below the consensus estimate of $4.45.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by equities researchers at Bank of America from $290.00 to $325.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the healthcare conglomerate's stock. Bank of America's price target suggests a potential upside of 6.90% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on UNH. Hsbc Global Res lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. KeyCorp cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. HSBC reissued a "reduce" rating and set a $270.00 price objective (down from $490.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $563.00 to $374.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $367.71.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 12.0%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $304.02 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $275.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.17, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $288.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $395.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $630.73.

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

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 589 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.00, for a total value of $179,645.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 10,398 shares in the company, valued at $3,171,390. This trade represents a 5.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 0.8% during the first quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 2,224 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $1,165,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 28.6% during the 1st quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 90 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,135 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $1,080,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Retirement Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Retirement Planning Group LLC now owns 430 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $225,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Net Worth Advisory Group increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 3,642 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,907,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

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.

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