UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Down 2.5% on Analyst Downgrade

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report)'s share price dropped 2.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after Barclays lowered their price target on the stock from $350.00 to $337.00. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. UnitedHealth Group traded as low as $299.16 and last traded at $299.85. Approximately 4,816,708 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 36% from the average daily volume of 7,581,969 shares. The stock had previously closed at $307.70.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Baird R W lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 11th. TD Cowen downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $308.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $515.00 to $350.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 16th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Friday, June 6th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $385.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. One investment 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. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $415.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 589 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.00, for a total value of $179,645.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 10,398 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,171,390. This represents a 5.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Stephen J. Hemsley bought 86,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $288.57 per share, for a total transaction of $25,019,019.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 679,493 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $196,081,295.01. The trade was a 14.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders acquired a total of 109,408 shares of company stock valued at $31,607,768 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Hurley Capital LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 685.7% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 416.7% in the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 62 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

The stock's 50 day moving average is $314.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $440.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $275.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.45.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released 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). The company had revenue of $109.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.56 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 5.39% and a return on equity of 26.29%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.91 earnings per share. Analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 16th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.10. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 16th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is currently 37.02%.

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.