UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stock Position Boosted by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 11.0% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,397,476 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 138,837 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 0.5% of Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $581,611,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total value of $205,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 16,497 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,763,770. This represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.4%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $394.16 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $415.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $354.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.78. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $255.96 and a 52 week high of $461.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $353.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.62.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $429.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $455.92.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts remain broadly optimistic on UnitedHealth (UNH), with the average brokerage recommendation indicating a favorable view. However, analyst ratings can be subject to overly positive bias. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About UnitedHealth
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth authorized a dividend, reinforcing shareholder returns and potentially supporting investor confidence while the company faces broader governance scrutiny. UnitedHealth Authorizes Dividend Amid Governance Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: The reported guilty plea by Luigi Mangione in the federal case involving the killing of former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson could provide additional legal clarity, but the direct effect on UnitedHealth’s operations and valuation appears limited. Luigi Mangione Reportedly Set to Plead Guilty
• Neutral Sentiment: An analysis argues that much of UnitedHealth’s expected margin recovery may already be reflected in the stock, making future revenue and membership growth important tests for further upside. UnitedHealth Margin Recovery Is Priced In
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder lawsuit alleges that UnitedHealth executives ignored governance and cybersecurity weaknesses, discontinued an internal Medicare billing audit and failed to address risks preceding the Change Healthcare cyberattack. The allegations could increase litigation, regulatory and reputational risks. Investor Suit Says UnitedHealth Ignored Governance and Cybersecurity Gaps
• Negative Sentiment: A related derivative suit reportedly says patients won about 90% of appeals against coverage denials generated by an artificial-intelligence system and alleges executives knew about the issue. If substantiated, the claims could bring additional compliance costs, damages and scrutiny. UNH Patients Win 90 Percent of AI Denial Appeals

About UnitedHealth Group

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.