192,342 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Sanders Capital LLC

Key Points

• Sanders Capital cut its UnitedHealth stake by 192,342 shares (3.3%) in the third quarter, but still held 5.71 million shares valued at about $2.09 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: UnitedHealth has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $463.93, with 20 Buy and eight Hold ratings.
• Third-quarter adjusted earnings of $4.69 per share beat expectations of $4.14, while revenue edged down 0.4% year over year; the company also declared a $2.32 quarterly dividend.

Sanders Capital LLC trimmed its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,706,292 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 192,342 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 2.1% of Sanders Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Sanders Capital LLC owned 0.64% of UnitedHealth Group worth $2,094,666,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of UNH. Alta Advisers Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 80.2% in the 3rd quarter. Alta Advisers Ltd now owns 6,515 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $2,392,000 after acquiring an additional 2,899 shares in the last quarter. Legacies Wealth LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 247.4% during the 3rd quarter. Legacies Wealth LLC now owns 264 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,643 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $1,338,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the third quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 27,045 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $9,928,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.3% during the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 135,726 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $49,822,000 after purchasing an additional 6,888 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UNH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $467.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $401.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $463.93.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: ETFs purchased $56.4 million of UNH shares on Nov. 4, a potentially supportive demand signal. ETFs Are Buying UnitedHealth (UNH) on Nov. 4
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s Q3 adjusted EPS of $4.69 topped analyst expectations, and a recent earnings analysis said the results bolstered confidence in a margin recovery. UnitedHealth (UNH) Q3 Earnings Lift Confidence In Margin Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks article characterized Wall Street analysts’ view of UNH as a Buy, offering a favorable sentiment signal, though the article summary did not cite a specific new rating change. Wall Street Analysts See UnitedHealth (UNH) as a Buy: Should You Invest?
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share, equivalent to $9.28 annually and a reported yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group Declares Quarterly Dividend Of $2.32 Per Share
• Negative Sentiment: Utilization and policy concerns remain an overhang for the company, highlighting uncertainty around medical costs and the regulatory environment. Utilization and Policy Concerns Weigh on UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH)
• Negative Sentiment: Renewed calls for a regulatory review of UnitedHealth’s business scale, alongside warnings that AI could disrupt large healthcare companies, add longer-term risk concerns. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Draws Breakup Pressure As AI Threat Enters The Story

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.4%

UnitedHealth Group stock traded down $1.57 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $394.14. 5,901,850 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,070,064. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $255.96 and a fifty-two week high of $461.62. The firm's 50 day moving average is $390.62 and its 200-day moving average is $364.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $353.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.51, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.51.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. The business had revenue of $112.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group's revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. On average, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.61 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 7th will be paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 7th. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is 53.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health care company that provides health benefits and health services through two main businesses: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. UnitedHealthcare offers health insurance and related benefit plans to individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Optum provides services across the health care system, including care delivery, pharmacy services, pharmacy benefit management, health technology and data analytics. Its businesses serve consumers, health care providers, employers, health plans and government organizations.

Founded in 1977 as United HealthCare Corporation, the company is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

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