UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading Down 2.2% Following Analyst Downgrade

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) traded down 2.2% on Friday after Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on the stock from $640.00 to $510.00. Robert W. Baird currently has an outperform rating on the stock. UnitedHealth Group traded as low as $412.02 and last traded at $414.86. 2,901,599 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 35% from the average session volume of 4,450,463 shares. The stock had previously closed at $424.25.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $642.00 to $560.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $652.00 to $525.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $660.00 to $580.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Raymond James reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating and set a $540.00 price objective (down from $635.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $596.86.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNH. NewSquare Capital LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hurley Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company's fifty day moving average price is $501.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $532.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $372.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.61.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.29 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $109.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.56 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 26.69%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.91 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $2.10 per share. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 35.18%.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.