UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.’s 8th Largest Position

GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 1,337.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 97,679 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 90,883 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises 3.4% of GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $51,425,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. North Star Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. North Star Asset Management Inc. now owns 16,346 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $8,606,000 after purchasing an additional 667 shares during the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 2,582 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,359,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 53,191 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $28,003,000 after acquiring an additional 473 shares during the period. Brendel Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $1,669,000. Finally, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 20.9% during the 4th quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 77,713 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $40,914,000 after buying an additional 13,458 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.1 %

UNH stock opened at $492.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.85. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $436.38 and a one year high of $554.70. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $482.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $512.76. The company has a market capitalization of $453.09 billion, a PE ratio of 30.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.55.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 26.50% and a net margin of 4.05%. The firm had revenue of $99.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.23 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.26 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.6 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 issued a dividend of $1.88 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 8th. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.53%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on UNH shares. HSBC raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $460.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $591.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $545.00 to $562.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $675.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $570.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,236 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $483.48, for a total transaction of $597,581.28. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,364 shares in the company, valued at $4,527,306.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Thomas E. Roos sold 858 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $525.79, for a total transaction of $451,127.82. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 32,289 shares in the company, valued at $16,977,233.31. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,236 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $483.48, for a total value of $597,581.28. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,364 shares in the company, valued at $4,527,306.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.