WealthShield Partners LLC Sells 6,950 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

WealthShield Partners LLC cut its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 51.9% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,432 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 6,950 shares during the quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,740,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UNH. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake 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 bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $463 from $400 and kept an outperform rating, signaling continued upside potential ahead of earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare launched a Lifestyle Spending Account benefit through UHC Store, which could make UNH more attractive to employers by adding flexible wellness benefits and simplifying administration. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight bullish setup momentum into the company’s July 16 earnings report, with investors expecting earnings and guidance to remain important catalysts. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s home health program HouseCall was reported to be associated with fewer inpatient stays and ER visits, which is a positive operational sign but not an immediate market-moving event. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary also noted that UnitedHealth has delivered strong cash returns to shareholders over time, but some analysts are questioning whether the stock is now fully valued after its sharp recovery. Article
• Negative Sentiment: The broader healthcare sector was one of the weakest parts of the market today, and UNH was specifically cited as a drag on the Dow, which can weigh on the stock even if company-specific news is favorable. Article

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH traded down $6.63 during trading on Friday, hitting $425.05. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,797,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The company has a 50-day moving average of $399.40 and a 200-day moving average of $338.88. 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 firm has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $434.30.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Raymond James Financial raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Argus upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $417.38.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

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.