UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Shares Sold by Sterling Investment Management LLC

Sterling Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,381 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 275 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises about 1.9% of Sterling Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Sterling Investment Management LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $2,561,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.2% in the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 35,946 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $17,783,000 after buying an additional 1,129 shares during the last quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,246 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $573,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Capital Insight Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the first quarter. Capital Insight Partners LLC now owns 9,045 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,475,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $282,469,000. Finally, Tealwood Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,905,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 0.6 %

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $569.61 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $584.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $534.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market cap of $525.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.58. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $436.38 and a fifty-two week high of $608.63.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.00 by $0.15. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.37% and a net margin of 3.63%. The business had revenue of $100.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $6.56 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.61 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th were paid a $2.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 16th. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.47%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNH shares. HSBC cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $525.00 to $630.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Hsbc Global Res lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $591.00 to $644.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $615.58.

UnitedHealth Group 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.