Cooke & Bieler LP cut its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 35.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 213,174 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 119,281 shares during the quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $78,252,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $31,946,594,000 after acquiring an additional 3,395,530 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 0.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,633,267 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $18,966,555,000 after purchasing an additional 301,081 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,713,684 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,169,606,000 after purchasing an additional 2,097,859 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,704,994 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,449,317,000 after purchasing an additional 616,723 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,675,175 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,436,923,000 after purchasing an additional 583,536 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $435.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Erste Group Bank lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Mizuho lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and set a $402.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $463.57.
Read Our Latest Research Report on UNH
Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group
In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.
UnitedHealth Group News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s third-quarter adjusted earnings per share increased approximately 61% year over year, while management raised its full-year earnings outlook. The 88.4% medical care ratio also indicates improved profitability, as the company retained more premium revenue after paying medical claims. UnitedHealth’s Earnings Jumped 60%. Is the Comeback Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly bullish, with the average brokerage recommendation equivalent to a Buy. Separate bullish commentary points to Optum’s recovery, improved contract quality at Optum Health, margin expansion and potential AI-related efficiency gains as drivers of double-digit earnings growth through 2028. UnitedHealth: Optum’s Recovery Supports My Strong Buy Rating
- Positive Sentiment: Technical-market commentary suggested UNH shares could extend their rally, reinforcing the view that the stock’s recovery trend remains intact after its recent rebound. Mapping the Market: UnitedHealth shares look ready to extend rally
- Neutral Sentiment: Optum generated roughly half of UnitedHealth’s reported second-quarter operating earnings, providing diversification from the insurance business. However, medical inflation and Medicare funding pressure affect both insurance and care-delivery operations, making the durability of future margins a key investment question. UnitedHealth: Does Optum Truly Diversify Its Earnings Risk?
- Negative Sentiment: Healthcare stocks weakened broadly late Wednesday, creating sector-level pressure on UNH despite its company-specific earnings improvement. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Softer Late Afternoon
- Negative Sentiment: Reports that older Americans face higher healthcare and prescription-drug costs, alongside insurers reducing some services, highlight affordability, utilization and political risks ahead of the midterm elections. Older Americans brace for higher healthcare costs ahead of midterms
UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance
NYSE:UNH opened at $416.95 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $374.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $387.63 and its 200-day moving average is $388.48. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 17.95% and a net margin of 3.53%. The firm’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.64 earnings per share for the current year.
UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 53.00%.
UnitedHealth Group Company Profile
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company that provides health insurance coverage, health care services, pharmacy services and health technology. Its businesses serve individuals, employers, government programs, health care providers and other organizations, primarily in the United States.
The company operates through two principal businesses. UnitedHealthcare offers health benefit plans and related services for employers, individuals, families and government-sponsored programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Read More
- Five stocks we like better than UnitedHealth Group
- GM Beat and Added a $20 Billion Buyback—Why Did the Stock Fall?
- Intercepting Growth: Karman Secures $218M Lockheed Martin Deal
- Tech Stocks Took a Hit—These 2 Pharma Stocks Are Near New Highs
- Chip Stocks Have Pulled Back—Here’s How 3 Semiconductor ETFs Stack Up for Investors
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
