UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stake Cut by Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC reduced its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 7.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 108,884 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 8,847 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 1.2% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $35,944,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 43.1% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 287,132 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $99,147,000 after purchasing an additional 86,432 shares during the last quarter. Oberndorf William E acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $12,276,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 48,745 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $16,832,000 after acquiring an additional 6,421 shares during the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,831,000. Finally, Timber Creek Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,227,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $397.25 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $404.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $360.76 billion, a PE ratio of 30.00, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.64. The business’s 50 day moving average is $345.52 and its 200-day moving average is $323.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 66.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Erste Group Bank upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $404.42.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth to Buy from Neutral and lifted its price target to $450, citing improving medical cost trends and a better risk/reward setup ahead of earnings. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also raised its price target on UNH to $453 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the stock has room to recover. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth raised its quarterly dividend by 5% to $2.32 per share, marking its 16th consecutive year of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash flow despite a tough insurance backdrop. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple market reports noted that analysts are increasingly optimistic on managed-care names, pointing to softer medical cost and utilization trends that could support earnings recovery for UNH. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also provided updates on its annual shareholder meeting and board actions, with shareholders re-electing directors and approving executive compensation; these items are routine and do not appear to be the main driver of trading. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market headlines show weakness in tech stocks and mixed futures, but these macro moves appear to be secondary to the strong company-specific buying in UNH today. Article Title

UnitedHealth Group Profile

UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.

UnitedHealthcare is the company’s benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.