UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Position Trimmed by Riverbridge Partners LLC

Riverbridge Partners LLC lessened its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 3.0% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 142,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 4,346 shares during the period. Riverbridge Partners LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $74,382,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Hurley Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Promus Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $306.90 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $365.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $465.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market cap of $278.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.44. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $248.88 and a 52 week high of $630.73.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.29 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $109.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.56 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.29% and a net margin of 5.39%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.91 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 24th. Investors of record on Monday, June 16th will be issued a $2.21 dividend. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.88%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $525.00 to $405.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Bank of America cut UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $560.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird lowered UnitedHealth Group from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $312.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, June 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $521.00 to $362.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $426.52.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn bought 1,533 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $320.80 per share, with a total value of $491,786.40. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 6,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,935,386.40. This represents a 34.07% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 589 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.00, for a total value of $179,645.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 10,398 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,171,390. The trade was a 5.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have bought a total of 109,408 shares of company stock worth $31,607,768 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.28% 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.