UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Sets New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• UnitedHealth Group hit a new 52-week high after JPMorgan lifted its price target from $420 to $466 and reiterated an overweight rating.
• Several other analysts also turned more bullish recently, with Bank of America, UBS, Barclays, and RBC all raising targets; MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $406.33.
• The company reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and it also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share, up from $2.21.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $420.00 to $466.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. UnitedHealth Group traded as high as $405.72 and last traded at $404.0410, with a volume of 2404359 shares. The stock had previously closed at $399.47.

UNH has been the topic of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $420.00 to $450.00 in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $373.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $406.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UNH. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares in the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at about $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at about $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at about $377,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 1.2%

The business's 50 day moving average is $348.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $323.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $367.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.52, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.64.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.77%.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

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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