Empirical Finance LLC Grows Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Empirical Finance LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,763 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 2,589 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group accounts for about 0.6% of Empirical Finance LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Empirical Finance LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $10,845,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 685.7% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Islay Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth $31,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 416.7% in the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 62 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 80.9% during the 2nd quarter. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc now owns 123 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on UNH shares. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $423.00 to $417.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $325.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $397.12.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of UNH opened at $313.77 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $622.83. The stock has a market cap of $284.22 billion, a PE ratio of 16.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $346.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $317.63.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.15 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th will be paid a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 46.14%.

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.