Baillie Gifford & Co. Has $13.05 Million Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford & Co. reduced its stake in UnitedHealth by 18.7%, selling 9,108 shares to finish the quarter with 39,537 shares worth about $13.05 million.
• UnitedHealth slightly beat quarterly estimates with $2.11 EPS vs. $2.09 expected and revenue of $113.73B (up 12.3% YoY); the company issued FY2026 guidance (noted as 17.750 EPS) while analysts average a ~29.54 EPS forecast and a consensus target of $363.42.
• Sentiment is mixed: a Medicare Advantage rate increase and analyst support have boosted the stock, but announced pullbacks in 16 states underscore execution risk, with institutional investors owning 87.86% of the shares.

Baillie Gifford & Co. lessened its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 18.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 39,537 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 9,108 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $13,052,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $7,516,107,000 after purchasing an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,042,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,747,337 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,503,419,000 after purchasing an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Dodge & Cox boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.6% during the third quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 9,505,636 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $3,282,296,000 after purchasing an additional 755,076 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.6% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 9,109,692 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $3,145,577,000 after purchasing an additional 144,109 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $313.20 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $595.63. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $283.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $317.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $284.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.75, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.40.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. UnitedHealth Group's quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 67.02%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Medicare Advantage rate increase lifted sentiment and earlier sparked an ~8% rally, reinforcing revenue tailwinds for UnitedHealthcare’s MA business and supporting near-term earnings outlook. UnitedHealth (UNH) Stock Soars 8% on Medicare Advantage Rate Increase – Can Momentum Last?
• Positive Sentiment: BofA raised its price target on UNH (while keeping a Neutral rating), a signal that some sell-side analysts see more upside from improving fundamentals and the Medicare Advantage developments. Analyst support can help sustain buying interest. Analyst Raises Price Target on UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Keeps ‘Neutral’ Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/sector rotation stories are lifting healthcare names; commentary suggesting UnitedHealth is a durable value play has attracted buy-side interest amid the recent pullback in the sector. The Great Rotation: Buy This Sector Before It Comes Back in Style
• Neutral Sentiment: Patient Capital Management’s Q1 letter says it remains committed to its UNH thesis despite short-term underperformance — a sign of continued institutional conviction but not an immediate catalyst. Patient Opportunity Equity Strategy Remains Firm on Its Thesis for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent headlines noting UNH “outperformed the broader market” merely reflect the stock’s positive reaction to the items above; they summarize market moves but don’t add new fundamental information. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced pullbacks in 16 states after finding some Medicare Advantage plans unprofitable — this highlights execution risk and near-term membership/earnings volatility in the MA channel. Market Crash: This Dividend Stock Becomes a No-Brainer Buy at a Discount
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis noting a “broken trust” and a temporary margin reset underscores lingering investor concerns after guidance withdrawal; valuation still reflects uncertainty until margins and guidance are fully restored. UnitedHealth: Trust Is Broken - But The Model Isn't

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. HSBC raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $363.42.

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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