Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,122 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 198 shares during the quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $2,085,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth $27,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 152.4% during the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 53 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. West Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Quarry LP grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 132.1% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 65 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $510.03 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $436.38 and a twelve month high of $630.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company has a market capitalization of $469.37 billion, a PE ratio of 33.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.62. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $549.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $562.73.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.74 by $0.07. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.37% and a net margin of 3.63%. The business had revenue of $100.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $101.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.83 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were paid a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UNH. Stephens increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $595.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $615.00 to $610.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $595.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $627.74.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.