Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Has $6.64 Million Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 8.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 24,551 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 2,378 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $6,643,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the 4th 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 acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at about $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $377,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on UNH. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. HC Wainwright set a $492.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Argus upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $417.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH traded down $6.63 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $425.05. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,797,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week high of $434.30. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $399.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $338.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $386.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

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.