UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Up 3.2% – Here’s Why

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was up 3.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $271.88 and last traded at $270.2430. Approximately 8,355,773 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 15% from the average daily volume of 9,800,875 shares. The stock had previously closed at $261.79.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $289.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $321.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $245.29 billion, a PE ratio of 20.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.41.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The business had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.02%.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $508,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $32,374,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $2,295,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 320,574 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $105,825,000 after purchasing an additional 26,328 shares during the period. Finally, Winthrop Partners WNY LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $613,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.