Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 61,044 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,395 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $22,408,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $31,946,594,000 after buying an additional 3,395,530 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 0.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,633,267 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $18,966,555,000 after acquiring an additional 301,081 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% in 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 acquiring an additional 616,723 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,675,175 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,436,923,000 after acquiring an additional 583,536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1,443.7% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 8,447,224 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $3,510,920,000 after purchasing an additional 7,900,011 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
UNH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $516.00 to $524.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Zacks Research downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $526.00 to $487.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $463.93.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related 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 transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group
Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s profits are reportedly improving despite fewer members and lower Optum Health sales, with higher margins and pricing discipline supporting the recovery. Medical-cost pressures remain a risk. Article: Leaner and Meaner: Are UNH’s Profits Getting Bigger?
- Neutral Sentiment: Madeline Bell, former CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, joined UnitedHealth’s board. Her healthcare leadership adds experience, though the appointment alone may have limited near-term earnings impact. Article: Madeline Bell Joins UnitedHealth Group Board of Directors
- Neutral Sentiment: A proposed bill would give some ACA marketplace customers a special enrollment period if their provider leaves a plan’s network. It is not enacted, and the potential effect on UNH is uncertain. Article: Right to Re-Enroll Act of 2026
- Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth plans to drop Medicare coverage in 140 counties and leave Wyoming. The pullback could reduce membership and revenue in affected markets, although exiting areas with unfavorable economics may help control costs. Article: UnitedHealth Group Will Drop Medicare Plans In 140 Counties And Leave Wyoming
UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.8%
UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $404.88 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $362.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.12, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.74. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $255.96 and a fifty-two week high of $461.62. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $390.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $364.53.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $112.72 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.59 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.61 earnings per share for the current year.
UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 7th will be issued a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 7th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 53.00%.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health care company that provides health benefits and health services through two main businesses: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. UnitedHealthcare offers health insurance and related benefit plans to individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Optum provides services across the health care system, including care delivery, pharmacy services, pharmacy benefit management, health technology and data analytics. Its businesses serve consumers, health care providers, employers, health plans and government organizations.
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