UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading Up 1.8% - What's Next?

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) was up 1.8% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $313.55 and last traded at $307.39. Approximately 8,097,644 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 19% from the average daily volume of 6,795,059 shares. The stock had previously closed at $301.91.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on UNH shares. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $360.00 price objective (down previously from $580.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Monday, May 19th. TD Securities reissued a "hold" rating and set a $308.00 target price (down previously from $520.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $677.00 to $351.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $501.00 to $390.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $428.43.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $272.48 billion, a PE ratio of 19.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.56. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $422.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $489.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 17th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $6.91 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kristen Gil acquired 3,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were bought at an average price of $271.17 per share, with a total value of $1,003,329.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,818 shares in the company, valued at $1,035,327.06. This trade represents a 3,135.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn acquired 1,533 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $320.80 per share, with a total value of $491,786.40. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,935,386.40. The trade was a 34.07% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 109,408 shares of company stock valued at $31,607,768. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Invst LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 295.3% in the 1st quarter. Invst LLC now owns 5,491 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,876,000 after acquiring an additional 4,102 shares during the period. Hodges Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $210,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,996 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $3,664,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Nova Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 339.1% during the 1st quarter. Nova Wealth Management Inc. now owns 101 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 30.1% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 87,961 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $45,587,000 after purchasing an additional 20,375 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.