Echo45 Advisors LLC Trims Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Echo45 Advisors LLC reduced its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 4.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 845 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 40 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up approximately 0.3% of Echo45 Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Echo45 Advisors LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $418,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Richelieu Gestion SA acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. CGC Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1,000.0% during the fourth quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 148.1% during the fourth quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 67 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of UNH stock opened at $494.43 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $498.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $501.63. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $436.38 and a 1-year high of $554.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $455.07 billion, a PE ratio of 30.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.63 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $99.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.23 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.50% and a net margin of 4.05%. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.26 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Investors of record on Monday, June 17th were paid a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 17th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNH. Baird R W raised UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $545.00 to $562.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $580.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $675.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $591.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $579.74.

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.