TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 16.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 175,466 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 24,513 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $64,116,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Nvwm LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 89.2% during the third quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 70 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Wellington Altus USA Inc. lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 97.1% in the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 67 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Security National Bank of SO Dak purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group
Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and guidance exceeded expectations. UnitedHealth reported adjusted earnings of $4.69 per share versus the $4.14 consensus estimate, while revenue of $112.7 billion also topped forecasts. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50, supporting the recovery narrative. UnitedHealth Stock Moves Higher: What’s Going On?
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains significant. JPMorgan raised its price target to $524 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while Goldman Sachs reportedly lifted its target to $506 after concluding that Medicare Advantage margin recovery is progressing faster than expected. JPMorgan Raises UnitedHealth Price Target
- Positive Sentiment: Potential growth areas could support 2027 and beyond. UnitedHealth’s focus on Medicare special-needs plans, expanded coverage and care-delivery operations may provide targeted growth while improving margins. Its low beta also makes UNH attractive as a defensive healthcare holding during inflation and market rotation away from technology stocks. Can UNH’s Focus on Special Needs Plans Strengthen Medicare Growth?
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent gains may have already priced in much of the good news. Commentary noted that the earnings beat and outlook increase were followed by questions about how durable the recovery will be, limiting the immediate upside despite bullish targets. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path
- Negative Sentiment: Membership fell and medical costs remain high. Analysts are concerned that shrinking membership and elevated utilization could constrain revenue growth and margins, particularly if higher care costs persist. This is the main reason investors are questioning whether the earnings improvement can continue. UnitedHealth’s Q3 Margins Improve, But Membership Falls
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed. Barclays issued a pessimistic forecast, Robert W. Baird cut its price target, and TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating with a $402 target, signaling limited near-term upside for some investors.
UnitedHealth Group Price Performance
UnitedHealth Group stock traded down $4.90 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $401.77. The stock had a trading volume of 8,105,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,960,067. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $360.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.95, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $387.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $384.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.78.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $0.55. The firm 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 company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.59 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. As a group, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 53.00%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UNH. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $435.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $516.00 to $524.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $462.90.
Read Our Latest Analysis on UnitedHealth Group
Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group
In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,977,920. This 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 available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.
UnitedHealth Group Profile
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.
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