UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading Up 1.6% - Should You Buy?

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) shares rose 1.6% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $594.81 and last traded at $592.96. Approximately 1,072,457 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 5,082,370 shares. The stock had previously closed at $583.59.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on UNH shares. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $655.00 to $642.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $700.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Friday, January 17th. Erste Group Bank upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $600.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $632.85.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 22.0 %

The company's 50-day moving average price is $512.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $540.29. 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 stock has a market cap of $417.20 billion, a PE ratio of 29.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.61.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 26.69%. The business had revenue of $109.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.91 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $2.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.19%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,375,744,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 56,142.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,295,153 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,344,586,000 after acquiring an additional 8,280,404 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,914,740,000. Amundi raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 97.2% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 6,069,100 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $3,183,132,000 after acquiring an additional 2,991,470 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 36.6% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 8,592,718 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $4,346,712,000 after acquiring an additional 2,301,010 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

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.