KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Takes Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 311,435 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $157,543,000. UnitedHealth Group makes up 0.7% of KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Howard Capital Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $341,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 11.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,778,636 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,039,933,000 after purchasing an additional 180,479 shares during the last quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 8.0% during the third quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 1,443 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $844,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 49.4% during the third quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 1,597 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $934,000 after purchasing an additional 528 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 68,980 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $40,331,000 after acquiring an additional 3,120 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on UNH. StockNews.com upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stephens increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. HSBC upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $595.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Oppenheimer increased 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. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $700.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Friday, January 17th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $629.32.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH opened at $517.72 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $436.38 and a 52 week high of $630.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $473.57 billion, a PE ratio of 33.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $510.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $547.47.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued 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. The firm had revenue of $100.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $101.60 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 26.69%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.83 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th were given a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.62%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The stock was purchased 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,302,065. This trade represents a 28.57 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate 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.