165,105 Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Purchased by Great Lakes Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Great Lakes Advisors acquired 165,105 UnitedHealth shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $68.6 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.86% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with UnitedHealth receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $455.92. The company also exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, reporting $6.38 EPS and $112.03 billion in revenue.
• UnitedHealth declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32, equivalent to $9.28 annually and a 2.4% yield. However, rising healthcare costs and potential margin pressure remain risks, while the CEO recently sold 500 shares.

Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 165,105 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock, valued at approximately $68,623,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $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 $27,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price objective on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $463.00 to $478.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered UnitedHealth Group from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $455.92.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 16,497 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,763,770. The trade was a 2.94% 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 0.19% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $390.94 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $350.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 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. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $413.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $355.96. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $255.96 and a one year high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $110.81 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.08 EPS. The firm'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. Analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

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.

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