Vista Investment Partners LLC Trims Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Vista Investment Partners LLC reduced its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 11.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 816 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 108 shares during the period. Vista Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $413,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC now owns 1,251 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $633,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. KFG Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. KFG Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,036 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,030,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,371 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $693,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the period. Blue Square Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Blue Square Asset Management LLC now owns 5,245 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,653,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, Archford Capital Strategies LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 8,939 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,522,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $532.26 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $489.83 billion, a PE ratio of 34.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.91. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $436.38 and a 1-year high of $630.73. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $541.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $564.34.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.74 by $0.07. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 26.69%. The firm had revenue of $100.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $101.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.83 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.74 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 9th were given a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 9th. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.58%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 54.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on UNH shares. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $675.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $600.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. TD Cowen boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $601.00 to $609.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $615.00 to $610.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $610.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $627.74.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $511.57 per share, for a total transaction of $511,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 4,500 shares in the company, valued at $2,302,065. This trade represents a 28.57 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

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.