Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. Takes Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 7,893 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $2,725,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Islay Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the second quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 105 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Mizuho raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $286.00 to $408.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $386.33.

Key Headlines 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 the importance of the upcoming Medicare Advantage 2027 Advance Notice as a potential tailwind for enrollment and margins. Mizuho reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Reddit and X has moved from deeply bearish to neutral over the past week, helping shares recover after retail-driven selling earlier this month. Reddit sentiment shift
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly (from $411 to $409) but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst confidence despite a small technical cut to the target. Morgan Stanley target change
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary and market moves note UNH has outperformed the broader market in short-term trading, reflecting mixed buying interest ahead of the Jan. 27 catalyst. Outperforms broader market
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth executives faced tough questioning from Congress on healthcare affordability — a reminder of political/regulatory risk that could pressure policy outcomes or public perception. Congressional grilling
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced it will rebate 2026 ACA plan profits to customers, which could weigh on near-term margins and highlights ongoing regulatory/competitive pressure in the individual market. ACA profit rebate
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn of rising medical costs and a higher medical cost ratio (MCR) heading into Q4 results — several pieces advise caution until the Jan. 27 release when clearer margin and cost detail will arrive. Cost pressures warning

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $356.46 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $322.89 billion, a PE ratio of 18.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.42. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $332.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $323.59. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend 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.