Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 19,108 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 43.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 24,631 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 19,108 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $8,131,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter worth $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it will eliminate prior authorization for 30% of healthcare services, a potentially investor-friendly move that may streamline care and reduce complaints about insurer approvals. UnitedHealth to Eliminate Prior Authorization for 30% of Healthcare Services
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for UnitedHealth, signaling confidence in longer-term profitability, and kept a Buy rating on the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted in commentary about value stocks and recovery prospects, which may support investor interest but does not appear to be a direct fundamental catalyst. UnitedHealth: Watch The Recovery In Action
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research cut near-term and Q4 2027 earnings estimates, which is a headwind, but the revisions were not as central as the company’s policy change and may reflect more cautious forecasting rather than a major deterioration. Bullish Quarterly Results: 3 Companies Raising Guidance

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on UNH. UBS Group lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $395.00 price objective (up from $370.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $378.88.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE UNH opened at $379.49 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $304.54 and its 200 day moving average is $316.98. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $344.63 billion, a PE ratio of 28.66, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $387.21.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The business’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 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 66.77%.

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.