Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Boosts Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 2.3% in the first quarter, adding 2,468 shares to bring its holdings to 111,352 shares worth about $30.1 million.
• Wall Street analysts remain broadly positive on UNH, with several firms raising price targets after recent results; MarketBeat shows an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $447.29.
• UnitedHealth recently reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, raised its 2026 profit outlook, and increased its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share, signaling improved confidence in the business.

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 2.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 111,352 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 2,468 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group accounts for approximately 1.0% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $30,131,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth $377,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UNH. HSBC raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $463.00 to $478.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $373.00 to $429.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. KeyCorp raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $447.29.

Insider Activity

In other 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 transaction of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth beat Q2 estimates on earnings and revenue, driven by improved margins and lower medical costs, and raised its 2026 profit outlook. UnitedHealth shares surge on strong earnings beat and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, UBS, RBC, and other firms lifted price targets after the results, signaling stronger Street confidence in the stock’s recovery. Analyst price target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Management doubled the 2026 share repurchase target to at least $5 billion, which may help support EPS and investor returns. What’s Fueling UNH Stock’s Rally? A Bigger Buyback, Higher Guidance – And CEO Says Turnaround Is ‘Returning To Form’
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around the earnings call says Medicare Advantage and Optum are improving, but commercial cost pressures could delay a full margin recovery. UnitedHealth Q2 Earnings Call Focuses on Reset and Durable Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious, with at least one downgrade noting that the turnaround still faces execution risk despite the stronger quarter. UnitedHealth Group Q2: The Real Test Begins Now (Downgrade)

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 0.7%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $426.39 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $461.62. The firm has a market cap of $387.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.62. The business's 50-day moving average price is $404.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $342.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

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 the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. The business had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The business's quarterly revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.75 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

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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