UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading Up 1.8% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) shot up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $282.88 and last traded at $282.0230. 4,712,463 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 9,813,214 shares. The stock had previously closed at $277.05.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on UNH shares. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $425.00 to $389.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.8%

The company has a market cap of $255.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $304.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $325.09.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $6.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. North Capital Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $662,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Axis Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% in the third quarter. Axis Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,631 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Abound Wealth Management grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% during the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Founders Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Founders Capital Management LLC now owns 982 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

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.