UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stock: Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. Lowers Stake

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Oct 16th, 2026

Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. lowered its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 22.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,113 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,438 shares during the quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,877,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Mystic Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,964 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,923,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. WealthPLAN Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 37.2% in the third quarter. WealthPLAN Partners LLC now owns 3,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,307,000 after buying an additional 966 shares during the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 14.8% in the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,266,720 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $464,988,000 after buying an additional 163,350 shares during the last quarter. Ninety One North America Inc. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 24.8% during the third quarter. Ninety One North America Inc. now owns 14,374 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $5,276,000 after buying an additional 2,856 shares during the period. Finally, WealthPlan Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 12.9% during the third quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 21,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,727,000 after buying an additional 2,400 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: UnitedHealth reported adjusted EPS of $4.69 versus the $4.14 consensus estimate and revenue of $112.7 billion versus $111.31 billion expected. Revenue was roughly flat year over year, but profitability improved significantly. UnitedHealth Stock Moves Higher: What’s Going On?
Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings outlook: Management raised its 2026 adjusted earnings forecast to at least $20.50 per share, above its previous $19.50–$20.00 range. The guidance increase was the primary catalyst for the stock’s upward move. UnitedHealth Group gains after Q3 beat and higher 2026 outlook
Positive Sentiment: Margin recovery signals: The medical care ratio improved to 88.4%, while Optum generated $3.7 billion in earnings. Analysts also cited pricing discipline, benefit changes, care-delivery improvements and AI initiatives as potential supports for stronger 2027 growth. UNH Q3 Deep Dive: Margin Recovery and AI Initiatives Shape 2027 Outlook
Positive Sentiment: Constructive analyst views: Goldman Sachs reportedly raised its price target to $506, while Piper Sandler maintained an overweight rating and lifted its target to $504. Mizuho also continues to view UNH as a top healthcare pick. Goldman Sachs raises UNH target price to $506
Neutral Sentiment: Defensive appeal: UnitedHealth is being highlighted as a low-beta healthcare stock that could benefit from investor demand for defensive companies if inflation and energy costs remain elevated. 3 Low-Beta Defensive Stocks to Buy as Inflation Continues to Surge
Negative Sentiment: Growth risks remain: Analysts flagged shrinking membership, pressure from commercial medical costs and Medicaid, and uncertainty surrounding Medicare participation. TD Cowen reaffirmed a hold rating with a $402 target, while other firms reduced targets despite maintaining generally positive ratings. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. The trade was a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on UNH shares. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. DA Davidson set a $512.00 price target on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, New Street Research set a $402.00 price objective on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $461.48.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on UNH

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $407.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $387.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $384.52. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $255.96 and a one year high of $461.62. The company has a market capitalization of $365.72 billion, a PE ratio of 23.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.60.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $0.55. The company had revenue of $112.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th were issued a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 53.00%.

About UnitedHealth Group

(Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care and well-being company serving individuals, employers, health care providers and government programs. Its operations are organized primarily through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and services, including employer-sponsored coverage, individual and family plans, Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and other government-supported programs. Its services include health insurance administration, pharmacy benefits and care management.

Optum provides health care services, technology and data solutions, pharmacy services, and analytics to health plans, employers, government agencies, health care providers and consumers.