Bluesphere Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Bluesphere Advisors LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 5.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,754 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group accounts for 0.9% of Bluesphere Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Bluesphere Advisors LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,450,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 16,941 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $8,919,000 after buying an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Ascension Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $216,000. Bellecapital International Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Bellecapital International Ltd. now owns 13,823 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,277,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.8% in the third quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 34,297 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $17,292,000 after buying an additional 1,884 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 326.0% in the 4th quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 213 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH traded down $4.98 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $490.37. The stock had a trading volume of 835,342 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,462,741. The company has a market capitalization of $451.18 billion, a PE ratio of 30.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.54. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $436.38 and a 1 year high of $554.70. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $485.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $514.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.63 by $0.28. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.50% and a net margin of 4.05%. The business had revenue of $99.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $99.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.26 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.61 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 8th. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.53%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 45.97%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on UNH shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $600.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $618.00 to $584.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $610.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $570.05.

Insider Activity

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