BNP Paribas Acquires 12,601 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• BNP Paribas increased its UnitedHealth stake by 65.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 12,601 additional shares to bring its total holding to 31,952 shares worth about $10.55 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other investors holding about 87.86% of UnitedHealth’s shares. Several large firms, including Vanguard and Capital World Investors, also boosted their positions.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive: analysts have a “Moderate Buy” consensus on UNH with an average price target of $399.50, while the company also topped quarterly earnings and revenue estimates.

BNP Paribas raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 65.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 31,952 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 12,601 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas' holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $10,546,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UNH. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after acquiring an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised 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 during the period. Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,042,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,747,337 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $4,376,167,000. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the 3rd 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings raised UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $444.00 to $492.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $399.50.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH opened at $380.03 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $404.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $338.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $321.92. The stock has a market cap of $345.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The business had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.20 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group (UNH) from $395 to $440 and kept a buy rating, reinforcing Wall Street’s confidence in the stock’s upside. Benzinga report on Truist price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it will eliminate nearly two-thirds of pediatric prior authorizations by year-end, a move that could reduce paperwork, speed care access, and improve provider relations. Can UnitedHealth's Pediatric Authorization Cuts Ease Care Delays?
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent commentary pieces highlighted UNH as a durable long-term cash-flow generator, which may be supporting investor sentiment around its healthcare scale and recurring demand. 247WallSt article
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and social-media trading chatter showed continued interest in UNH, with traders pointing to support around the mid-$300s and upside targets near $400-$420, but this is more technical sentiment than a fundamental catalyst. Quiver Quantitative discussion summary
• Negative Sentiment: Massachusetts filed a lawsuit accusing UnitedHealth of inflating Medicaid patient risk scores to secure higher payments, adding legal, reputational, and reimbursement risk for the company. UnitedHealth Lawsuit Raises Fresh Questions On Medicaid Revenue And Investor Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reporting on allegations tied to UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage advertising practices keeps regulatory scrutiny in focus, which can weigh on investor confidence. GlobeNewswire article

About UnitedHealth Group

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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