16,670 Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Acquired by Advisors Capital Management LLC

Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 16,670 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock, valued at approximately $6,929,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in UNH. LFG Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% in the second quarter. LFG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 853 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $355,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Synergy Financial Group LTD boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Synergy Financial Group LTD now owns 887 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC now owns 419 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $174,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the second quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 2,589 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,076,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Matrix Trust Co grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 24.8% during the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 146 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.6%

NYSE UNH opened at $390.94 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $413.99 and its 200 day moving average is $355.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $350.90 billion, a PE 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 Incorporated has a 1 year low of $255.96 and a 1 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 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. The business had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The business's revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.81 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. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th will be paid a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.72%.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $463.00 to $478.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price target for the company from $287.00 to $453.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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. HC Wainwright set a $492.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $455.92.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total transaction of $205,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 16,497 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,763,770. The trade was a 2.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

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.

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).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source