UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Lifted to “Buy” at StockNews.com (2024)

Posted by MarketBeat News on May 16th, 2024

StockNews.com upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday morning.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on UNH. Stephens restated an overweight rating and set a $605.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Bank of America restated a buy rating and set a $675.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, March 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $545.00 to $562.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $607.00 to $546.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $534.00 to $560.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $570.05.

Read Our Latest Report on UNH

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

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Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $517.50 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. UnitedHealth Group has a fifty-two week low of $436.38 and a fifty-two week high of $554.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $476.30 billion, a PE ratio of 31.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.55. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $483.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $511.41.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.63 by $0.28. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.50% and a net margin of 4.05%. The company had revenue of $99.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.26 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 27.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 11th were paid a $1.88 dividend. This represents a $7.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.97%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 858 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $525.79, for a total value of $451,127.82. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,977,233.31. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,236 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $483.48, for a total transaction of $597,581.28. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,527,306.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 858 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $525.79, for a total value of $451,127.82. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,977,233.31. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Richelieu Gestion SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 1,000.0% during the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 757.1% during the first quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 60 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 340.0% in the third quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 66 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About UnitedHealth Group

(Get Free Report)

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.