Eagle Ridge Investment Management Lowers Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Eagle Ridge Investment Management decreased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 0.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 68,587 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 535 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 3.5% of Eagle Ridge Investment Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Eagle Ridge Investment Management’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $36,109,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UNH. Bensler LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.3% in the third quarter. Bensler LLC now owns 7,293 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,677,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the third quarter. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX now owns 1,695 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $855,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,988 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,626,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Private Wealth Advisors boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Atlas Private Wealth Advisors now owns 1,752 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $923,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Finally, Prentice Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,347 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,235,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock traded down $6.72 on Monday, hitting $488.63. 1,028,079 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,465,038. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market cap of $449.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.02, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.54. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $485.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $514.07. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $436.38 and a 52 week high of $554.70.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.63 by $0.28. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.05% and a return on equity of 26.50%. The company had revenue of $99.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $99.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.26 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 11th were paid a dividend of $1.88 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 8th. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.54%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.97%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $591.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $596.00 to $555.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $618.00 to $584.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $545.00 to $562.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $600.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $570.05.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.