Independent Advisor Alliance Boosts Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Independent Advisor Alliance increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 28.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 31,977 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,026 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $11,042,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UNH. North Capital Inc. grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $662,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Axis Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Axis Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,631 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Abound Wealth Management grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% in the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Seamount Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.7% during the second quarter. Seamount Financial Group Inc. now owns 818 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $287.03 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $330.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $323.51. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $606.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and near-term optimism: UNH reported an EPS beat that briefly lifted sentiment and helped the stock rally after the print. That positive earnings surprise shows operations can still deliver despite headwinds. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Potential policy upside: Commentary that UNH is negotiating with the administration for more favorable Medicare rates is a tailwind if realized, supporting longer-term policy risk mitigation. 5 Stocks Primed for a Turnaround in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst adjustments but continued support: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target slightly while keeping an Overweight rating, signaling analyst conviction remains even as near-term assumptions are revised. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on durability: Several analyst pieces argue the current weakness may be temporary (AI-driven efficiencies, margin recovery) — this creates mixed near-term flows as value buyers size positions vs. risk-averse sellers. UnitedHealth: Opportunity Is Here – Temporary FY2026 Pain
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts: Barclays and Wells Fargo lowered targets (while keeping Overweight ratings), signaling reduced near-term expectations and likely weighing on buying momentum. Analyst Price Target Changes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reimbursement pressure: Proposed smaller Medicare reimbursements and government scrutiny of insurer margins remain the largest catalyst for the sell-off and uncertainty around 2026-27 margins. UnitedHealth Plunges After Weak Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated bearish positioning: Unusual options activity showed a large jump in put buying, indicating short-term hedging or speculative bearish bets that can amplify downward moves. (Options volume data reported 376,697 puts traded vs. average ~163k.)

UnitedHealth Group 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.