South Dakota Investment Council grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 6.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 173,485 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,446 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group accounts for 0.9% of South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $46,943,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Founders Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Founders Capital Management LLC now owns 982 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $576,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Successful Portfolios LLC boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Successful Portfolios LLC now owns 1,194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $411,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 14.4% in the first quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 246 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Finally, McLean Asset Management Corp raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 2,000 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $670,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages recently weighed in on UNH. Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, July 20th. DA Davidson set a $512.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $455.92.
Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group
Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth reported second-quarter revenue of $112.03 billion and net income of $5.48 billion, while earnings per share of $6.38 exceeded the $4.94 consensus estimate. Management also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to $19.50–$20.00 per share. How Investors Are Reacting To UnitedHealth Group Profit Beat, Outlook Hike and Ongoing Buybacks
- Positive Sentiment: Lower medical costs, tighter expense control and continued share repurchases are strengthening the investment case and signaling that UnitedHealth’s profitability recovery is gaining traction. Analysts and market commentators have highlighted UNH as a blue-chip buying opportunity following the earnings beat. UnitedHealth’s Cost-Control Story is Gaining Momentum Buy These 3 Blue-Chip Stocks After Strong Q2 2026 Earnings Results
- Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s shares have rallied significantly since their March low, and the earnings beat has prompted renewed debate over whether the stock remains undervalued after its recovery. UnitedHealth Earnings Spark Fresh Value Debate
- Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth committed $4 million, alongside technical support, to help expand UT Health Sciences’ health-hub network in Tennessee from five to 13 locations. The initiative may improve community access and brand reputation but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. UnitedHealth Partners with UT Health Sciences
- Negative Sentiment: Some investors question the durability of the improved medical loss ratio because part of the benefit came from exiting unprofitable markets rather than broad-based operating improvement. Technical commentary also warns that the sharp rally could face consolidation. UnitedHealth Group Stock Opinions on Q2 Earnings Beat
- Negative Sentiment: Humana’s elevated medical cost ratio and decision to reaffirm rather than raise its forecast create a cautious read-through for managed-care companies, keeping pressure on investors to monitor utilization and healthcare-cost trends. Why Humana Stock Is Falling After Earnings Beat Expectations
UnitedHealth Group Price Performance
UNH opened at $421.30 on Thursday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $461.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The firm has a market cap of $382.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.11, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $410.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $347.25.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.08 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.
UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.72%.
UnitedHealth Group Company Profile
UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.
UnitedHealthcare is the company’s benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.
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