Strong Tower Advisory Services Has $9.90 Million Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Strong Tower Advisory Services lessened its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 0.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,225 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 28 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 4.0% of Strong Tower Advisory Services’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Strong Tower Advisory Services’ holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $9,904,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Richelieu Gestion SA bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. CGC Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1,000.0% in the 4th quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA lifted its holdings in 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 during the period. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on UNH. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $618.00 to $584.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $534.00 to $560.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. StockNews.com downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Finally, Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $675.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $579.74.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock traded down $1.11 on Tuesday, hitting $488.87. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 208,322 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,142,534. The company has a market capitalization of $449.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $497.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $503.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $436.38 and a 1 year high of $554.70.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.63 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $99.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.26 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 17th will be given a $2.10 dividend. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.72%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 17th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 51.34%.

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.