Portfolio Design Labs LLC Takes Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Portfolio Design Labs LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 14,201 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $5,902,000. UnitedHealth Group comprises about 1.0% of Portfolio Design Labs LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $143,000. Fischer Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at about $1,460,000. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth about $606,000. Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,929,000. Finally, MJP Associates Inc. ADV bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,664,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Barclays upped their price objective 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. HSBC increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Two equities research 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, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $455.92.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE:UNH opened at $390.94 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $255.96 and a one year high of $461.62. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $413.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $355.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $350.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.16, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.08 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 16,497 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,763,770. This represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

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.