WealthShield Partners LLC Sells 6,950 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

WealthShield Partners LLC reduced its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 51.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,432 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 6,950 shares during the quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,740,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Simplicity Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 15.9% in the first quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 12,337 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,338,000 after buying an additional 1,688 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 144.3% in the 1st quarter. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 27,323 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,393,000 after acquiring an additional 16,139 shares in the last quarter. Conning Inc. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 25.2% during the first quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 130,449 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $35,298,000 after purchasing an additional 26,266 shares in the last quarter. Arbor Capital Management Inc. ADV raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 13.9% in the first quarter. Arbor Capital Management Inc. ADV now owns 3,973 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,182,000 after purchasing an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 53.2% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 510 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $138,000 after buying an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $417.38.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.5%

UNH traded down $6.63 on Friday, hitting $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $434.30. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $399.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $338.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $386.00 billion, a PE ratio of 32.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue 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 expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 70.09%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $463 from $400 and kept an outperform rating, signaling continued upside potential ahead of earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare launched a Lifestyle Spending Account benefit through UHC Store, which could make UNH more attractive to employers by adding flexible wellness benefits and simplifying administration. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight bullish setup momentum into the company’s July 16 earnings report, with investors expecting earnings and guidance to remain important catalysts. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s home health program HouseCall was reported to be associated with fewer inpatient stays and ER visits, which is a positive operational sign but not an immediate market-moving event. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary also noted that UnitedHealth has delivered strong cash returns to shareholders over time, but some analysts are questioning whether the stock is now fully valued after its sharp recovery. Article
• Negative Sentiment: The broader healthcare sector was one of the weakest parts of the market today, and UNH was specifically cited as a drag on the Dow, which can weigh on the stock even if company-specific news is favorable. Article

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.