Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 314,192 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 14.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,864,462 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 314,192 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 1.4% of Lazard Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.20% of UnitedHealth Group worth $943,156,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Czech National Bank raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 199,536 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $100,937,000 after buying an additional 11,426 shares in the last quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,337 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $676,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 3,634 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,838,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Winthrop Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,301 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $658,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fiduciary Alliance LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 260.7% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 9,893 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $5,005,000 after buying an additional 7,150 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $380.72 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $488.01 and a 200-day moving average of $522.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $345.37 billion, a PE ratio of 24.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.56. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $378.54 and a one year high of $630.73.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.20 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.29 by ($0.09). UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.69% and a net margin of 3.60%. The business had revenue of $109.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.56 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.91 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.21%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Raymond James reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $540.00 price target (down previously from $635.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $664.00 to $563.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. StockNews.com raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $642.00 to $560.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $700.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Friday, January 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $596.86.

UnitedHealth Group 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.