UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Stock Holdings Decreased by Empire Life Investments Inc.

Empire Life Investments Inc. reduced its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 16.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,095 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 2,430 shares during the quarter. Empire Life Investments Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $6,118,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. Friedenthal Financial acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $51,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $57,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $523.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $481.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.61. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $523.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $563.48. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $436.38 and a fifty-two week high of $630.73.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $100.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $101.60 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.69% and a net margin of 3.60%. The business’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.83 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Timothy Patrick Flynn purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $511.57 per share, with a total value of $511,570.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 4,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,302,065. The trade was a 28.57 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNH shares. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $595.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $600.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $694.00 to $660.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $650.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $605.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $629.32.

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.