Factory Mutual Insurance Co. Grows Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Factory Mutual Insurance Co. boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 4.3% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 234,500 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,600 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 1.3% of Factory Mutual Insurance Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Factory Mutual Insurance Co.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $116,007,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 525 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $276,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.2% during the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 35,946 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $17,783,000 after acquiring an additional 1,129 shares during the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 16,941 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $8,919,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,246 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $573,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bellecapital International Ltd. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Bellecapital International Ltd. now owns 13,823 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,277,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of UNH stock opened at $484.60 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $446.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.62, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $498.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $502.75. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $436.38 and a twelve month high of $554.70.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.63 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $99.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.23 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.05% and a return on equity of 26.50%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.26 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 27.57 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 17th were given a dividend of $2.10 per share. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. This represents a $8.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.73%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 17th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 51.34%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $591.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $546.00 to $559.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $618.00 to $584.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $579.74.

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.