Kovack Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 30.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 26,813 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,181 shares during the quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $8,851,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group
In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.
Key UnitedHealth Group News
- Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced it will report second-quarter 2026 results on July 16, with a conference call the same morning. While this is not a financial update itself, it gives investors a clear catalyst to watch and often keeps attention on the stock. UnitedHealth Group Announces Earnings Release Date
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: JPMorgan reportedly raised its price target on UNH, Erste Group increased FY2027 EPS estimates, and Mizuho boosted its target to $460 while reiterating an Outperform rating. That suggests Wall Street sees more earnings upside ahead. Mizuho Boosts UnitedHealth (UNH) Target as Managed Care Outlook Improves
- Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth also announced a dividend increase, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive, income-producing healthcare stock. 3 Stocks That Announced Dividend Hikes Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Positive Sentiment: The stock recently hit a 52-week high, reflecting a strong rebound from last year’s weakness and signaling momentum-driven buying interest. UnitedHealth Group Just Hit a 52-Week High. Is It Too Late to Buy This Soaring Stock?
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles also noted that UNH remains a “top-ranked momentum stock” and a “moderate buy” among brokerages, which supports the stock but does not by itself change fundamentals. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a Top-Ranked Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. Bank of America upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $420.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $407.17.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance
Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $405.58 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $415.98. The company has a market capitalization of $368.32 billion, a PE ratio of 30.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $359.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $326.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current year.
UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.77%.
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than UnitedHealth Group
- Microsoft Just Gave Investors 3 Dates They Can’t Afford to Ignore
- NVIDIA’s Outlook Gains Momentum: Stock Price to Follow
- The World Cup Is Coming—These 3 Stocks Could Cash In
- Spotify’s “North Star” Outlook Was Music to Investors Ears
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
