UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Cut to Hold at Erste Group Bank

Erste Group Bank lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports.

Several other analysts have also commented on UNH. Leerink Partners increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. BMO Capital Markets set a $512.00 price objective on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $477.00 price target on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $456.56.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.3%

UNH opened at $393.99 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a market capitalization of $353.64 billion, a PE ratio of 25.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $413.28 and its 200-day moving average is $360.11. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $255.96 and a one year high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 19.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 59.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 1,169 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $377,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

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.