Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Sells 42,860 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 14.2% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 259,824 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 42,860 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $70,306,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $4,376,167,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 141.9% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,109,029 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,356,432,000 after acquiring an additional 2,410,128 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 864.4% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,523,700 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $833,099,000 after purchasing an additional 2,262,006 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 87.5% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 3,916,041 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,294,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,826,948 shares during the period. Finally, Lone Pine Capital LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $528,273,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

More 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 Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE UNH traded down $6.63 on Friday, reaching $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $399.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $338.88. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $434.30. The company has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on UNH shares. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $417.38.

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.