QV Investors Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

QV Investors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 77.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 51,794 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,640 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up approximately 1.5% of QV Investors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. QV Investors Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $17,884,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 21,312,182 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,624,411,000 after purchasing an additional 675,075 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth about $3,837,207,000. Dodge & Cox lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,750,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,729,912,000 after buying an additional 4,730,192 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,502,469 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,340,346,000 after acquiring an additional 432,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 33.8% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 6,191,871 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,904,372,000 after purchasing an additional 1,565,245 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $433.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $378.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $385.75.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho reiterated a Buy on UNH and kept a $430 price target, highlighting confidence heading into the Medicare Advantage 2027 advance notice period — this supports upside sentiment from institutional analysts. Mizuho Securities Remains Positive on UnitedHealth Group Amid the Upcoming Medicare Advantage 2027 Advance Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it will rebate 2026 ACA (Obamacare) plan profits to customers — a move that reduces regulatory and political risk but could compress near-term margins depending on rebate size. UnitedHealth to Rebate 2026 ACA Profits as Congress Debates Extending Premium Tax Credits
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary pieces are exploring investor reactions to the rebate — some view it as good PR and risk mitigation, others flag its potential earnings impact; market response will depend on rebate magnitude and timing. How Investors May Respond To UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Rebating 2026 ACA Plan Profits To Customers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and estimate pieces ahead of the Q4 earnings release (Jan. 27) highlight key metrics to watch beyond headline revenue/EPS — medical cost ratio (MCR), membership trends and Optum performance will drive the print. Countdown to UnitedHealth (UNH) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Estimates Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Negative Sentiment: UNH executives faced congressional questioning on healthcare affordability — increased regulatory scrutiny raises policy risk and could influence future pricing/mandates. UnitedHealth and CVS Get Grilled on Affordability by Congress
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn rising medical costs and a higher medical cost ratio could pressure margins into Q4, making earnings riskier near term. Buying UnitedHealth Before Q4 Earnings? Cost Pressures a Red Flag
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentators urge caution ahead of the Jan. 27 earnings release (some advising not to buy until after the print), and high-profile media voices have recommended peers like CVS over UNH, amplifying short-term pressure. Don’t Buy UnitedHealth Group Stock Before Jan. 27 Jim Cramer Says “Let’s Buy CVS, Not UnitedHealth”

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $354.74 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $331.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $322.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $321.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.42. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $606.36.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.15 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.14%.

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.