Great Lakes Advisors LLC Takes $68.62 Million Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 165,105 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $68,623,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $22,384,000 after buying an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after acquiring an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth approximately $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $377,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $390.94 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $350.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.16, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $413.99 and its 200 day moving average is $355.96. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $255.96 and a 52 week high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The business had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’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. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th will be given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 59.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total transaction of $205,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 16,497 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,763,770. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $466.00 to $516.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Truist Financial boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Bank of America restated a “buy” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, July 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $455.92.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth is reportedly prioritizing Medicare Advantage profitability over rapid membership growth by tightening benefits, improving pricing and controlling costs. The strategy could support stronger margins and more sustainable earnings, even if enrollment growth moderates. Is UnitedHealth Finding a Better Path to Medicare Advantage Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research added UNH to its Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” lists for overall stocks, value stocks and income stocks. The repeated favorable rankings may reinforce investor confidence in the shares. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 21st
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised several forward EPS estimates, including Q1 2028 to $7.36 from $6.78 and Q2 2028 to $7.19 from $5.84. A separate report also noted an increase in the Q1 EPS estimate, while Zacks maintained a Strong Buy rating. Q1 EPS Estimate for UnitedHealth Group Increased by Analyst
• Neutral Sentiment: Forecast revisions were mixed: Q3 2027 EPS was reduced to $4.74 from $4.81 and Q4 2027 to $4.07 from $4.12, partially offsetting the increases for 2028.
• Negative Sentiment: Aon expects U.S. employer health-care costs to rise 9.5% in 2027. Persistent medical-cost inflation could pressure insurers’ margins and increase pricing, benefit and utilization-management challenges for UnitedHealth. AON Sees No Relief From Health-Cost Inflation

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.