Magellan Asset Management Ltd Sells 91,935 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Magellan Asset Management Ltd decreased its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 11.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 719,803 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 91,935 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 2.5% of Magellan Asset Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Magellan Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $194,771,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was upgraded to Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), signaling improving earnings expectations and adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on UNH to $516 and reiterated an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has meaningful upside after its recent rally. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted UnitedHealth’s strong Q2 performance, including better-than-expected earnings, raised guidance, and a larger share buyback authorization, all of which support the bullish case. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reports framed UNH as a defensive healthcare leader benefiting from market rotation away from AI stocks, with analysts also calling it a strong momentum name and a stable dividend pick. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The House passed a bill focused on provider accountability and fraud prevention in federal health programs; the article noted UNH could be affected by tighter oversight, but the near-term stock impact is unclear. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $512.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $455.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $436.19 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $461.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market cap of $396.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.07, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.62. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $406.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $343.75.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’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, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 59.72%.

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.