UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading Up 1.3% - Should You Buy?

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 1.3% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $307.44 and last traded at $307.55. 2,489,077 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 67% from the average session volume of 7,546,935 shares. The stock had previously closed at $303.71.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped 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 note on Wednesday, May 14th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $337.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $418.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, June 20th. Finally, HSBC restated a "reduce" rating and set a $270.00 target price (down previously from $490.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $415.00.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $274.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.45. The business's fifty day moving average price is $318.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $443.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 17th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.29 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $109.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.56 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 5.39% and a return on equity of 26.29%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.91 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 16th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.92%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.10. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 16th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is 37.02%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CFO John F. Rex purchased 17,175 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $291.12 per share, with a total value of $4,999,986.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 203,796 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $59,329,091.52. This trade represents a 9.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn purchased 1,533 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $320.80 per share, with a total value of $491,786.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,935,386.40. This trade represents a 34.07% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have bought 109,408 shares of company stock worth $31,607,768. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.0% during the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 17,886 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $9,368,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.3% during the first quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 530,103 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $277,641,000 after acquiring an additional 1,465 shares during the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $515,000. Full Sail Capital LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Full Sail Capital LLC now owns 1,612 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $815,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Soros Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,413,000. Hedge funds and other 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.