Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Reduces Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. trimmed its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 38.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 589,241 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 364,305 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $159,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Oberndorf William E bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $12,276,000. Griffith & Werner Inc. purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth approximately $3,039,000. TIAA Trust National Association boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 38.6% in the third quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 262,244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $90,553,000 after purchasing an additional 73,030 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 91,496 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $30,287,000 after purchasing an additional 3,720 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rovida Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rovida Advisors Inc. now owns 30,000 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $10,358,000 after buying an additional 15,000 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $475 from $450 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling additional upside from current levels. Benzinga article on price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted UnitedHealth Group as a top long-term value stock, which may be supporting sentiment among growth-at-a-reasonable-price investors. Zacks article on long-term value stock
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer recommending UNH as a buy added to the upbeat tone around the stock. Motley Fool article on Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: UNH also reached a proposed FTC settlement over insulin rebating practices, which could reduce regulatory uncertainty if finalized. Yahoo Finance article on FTC settlement
• Neutral Sentiment: Several additional pieces described UnitedHealth as steady in healthcare or discussed whether it is a buy, but did not add a major new catalyst beyond the generally favorable sentiment. Kalkine Media article on steady performance

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH opened at $405.86 on Thursday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $415.98. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $379.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $331.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $368.58 billion, a PE ratio of 30.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.64.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the subject of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $410.79.

Insider Activity

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

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.