CoreFirst Bank & Trust Has $1.65 Million Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• CoreFirst Bank & Trust increased its UnitedHealth position by 198.3% in the first quarter, owning 6,082 shares valued at approximately $1.65 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 87.86% of the company’s stock.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly EPS of $6.38, beating estimates of $4.94, and revenue of $112.03 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $455.92, while the company reaffirmed 2026 EPS guidance of $19.50–$20.00.
• The company’s turnaround is supported by improved margins, lower medical costs and stronger expectations for its Optum and Medicare Advantage businesses, but investors remain focused on surprise-billing costs, regulation, Medicaid exposure and potential changes to 2027 Medicare Advantage plans.

CoreFirst Bank & Trust grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 198.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,082 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 4,043 shares during the quarter. CoreFirst Bank & Trust's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,646,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during 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 grew its holdings 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 worth $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth approximately $377,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on UNH. Leerink Partners boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Robert W. Baird raised UnitedHealth Group from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $287.00 to $453.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $463.00 to $478.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $455.92.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks Research raised EPS forecasts for several future periods, including Q3 2026, Q1 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, and Q1 2028. Zacks maintained a “Strong Buy” rating, reinforcing expectations for an earnings recovery.
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank increased its FY2026 EPS estimate to $19.85 from $18.33 and its FY2027 estimate to $22.44 from $20.87, maintaining a “Buy” rating. MarketBeat UnitedHealth analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights UNH’s second-quarter earnings beat, lower medical-cost ratio, improved margins, and raised 2026 guidance as evidence that the company’s turnaround is gaining traction. Its diversified Optum platform and growing use of artificial intelligence are also viewed as longer-term strengths. UnitedHealth turnaround signal
• Positive Sentiment: A separate valuation update lifted the estimated fair value from $424.23 to $475.23, reflecting improved Medicare Advantage and Optum Health assumptions. The average brokerage recommendation remains equivalent to “Buy,” although the usefulness of broadly positive analyst ratings is questioned. UnitedHealth fair value update
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary says the recent stock advance reflects a Medicare Advantage repricing strategy that management outlined months earlier, suggesting the market is reassessing earnings power rather than responding to a new operational announcement. UnitedHealth Medicare Advantage repricing analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced its Q4 2026 EPS estimate to $2.25 from $2.47 and trimmed its Q2 2028 forecast to $5.84 from $5.92. These isolated cuts may be contributing to caution even as the firm remains bullish overall.
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth faces scrutiny over surprise-billing dispute costs, while broader risks include commercial-market trends, Medicaid exposure, and regulation. Medicare Advantage insurers are also redesigning 2027 plans, potentially affecting enrollment, benefits, and member retention. Cigna and UnitedHealth cost coverage

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $414.82 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $411.39 and a 200-day moving average of $348.26. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $461.62. The stock has a market cap of $376.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 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 0.80.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $2.32 dividend. This is a boost 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%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.72%.

UnitedHealth Group Company 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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