UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Raised to $571.00 at Piper Sandler

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price raised by Piper Sandler from $566.00 to $571.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on UNH. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $525.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Truist Financial reiterated a buy rating and set a $600.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $618.00 to $584.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Erste Group Bank restated a hold rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $596.00 to $555.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $569.68.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 2.2 %

UNH stock opened at $478.99 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company’s 50 day moving average is $489.51 and its 200 day moving average is $515.38. The stock has a market cap of $441.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.54. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $436.38 and a 1-year high of $554.70.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.63 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $99.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.23 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.05% and a return on equity of 26.50%. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.26 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 27.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 11th were issued a $1.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 8th. This represents a $7.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.57%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 45.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,236 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $483.48, for a total value of $597,581.28. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,364 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,527,306.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 858 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $525.79, for a total transaction of $451,127.82. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,977,233.31. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,236 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $483.48, for a total value of $597,581.28. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,364 shares in the company, valued at $4,527,306.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $210,000. McGowan Group Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. McGowan Group Asset Management Inc. now owns 744 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $379,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 31.8% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 250,196 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $127,592,000 after purchasing an additional 60,300 shares in the last quarter. MAS Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 463 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Western Trust Bank purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $875,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.