Country Trust Bank Increases Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Country Trust Bank boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group (UNH) by 14.7% in Q4, buying 18,484 shares to hold 143,885 shares worth about $47.5 million, making UNH its 28th-largest position (0.9% of holdings).
• UNH slightly beat quarterly expectations with $2.11 EPS (vs. $2.09) and $113.73 billion revenue (+12.3% YoY), set FY‑2026 EPS guidance at ~17.75, and pays a $2.21 quarterly dividend (3.1% yield).
• Regulatory and near-term catalysts include a favorable CMS decision raising Medicare Advantage payments about 2.5% for 2027 (a tailwind for UNH’s MA business), while April 21 Q1 results will be a key test amid recent stock weakness.

Country Trust Bank lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 14.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 143,885 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 18,484 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises 0.9% of Country Trust Bank's holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Country Trust Bank's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $47,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth approximately $1,059,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth approximately $1,572,193,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during the third quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $36,471,000 after purchasing an additional 2,316 shares in the last quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% during the third quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $14,282,000 after purchasing an additional 22,137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 59.1% during the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 12,380 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,275,000 after purchasing an additional 4,600 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $281.46 on Tuesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $606.36. The company has a market cap of $255.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.34, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The business's 50 day moving average price is $281.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $319.24.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Evercore raised UnitedHealth Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $363.38.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: CMS finalized a materially larger-than-expected Medicare Advantage payment increase for 2027 (~2.48%), adding about $13 billion industrywide. This directly benefits UnitedHealth given its scale in MA plans and improves revenue/margin outlook for the business. Trump administration finalizes better-than-feared Medicare Advantage payment rate
• Positive Sentiment: Reports note Medicare Advantage payments will rise ~2.5% in 2027, above earlier estimates — a direct tailwind for UNH’s Medicare Advantage revenue and cash flow profile. UnitedHealth, Humana, Health Insurers Jump On Higher Medicare Advantage Payments
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight the size of the MA market (~35M members) and why the new payment baseline is a big deal for healthcare insurers, reinforcing investor optimism on UNH’s core growth engine. New Medicare Payment Rate Expected. Why It’s a Big Deal for Healthcare Stocks.
• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded/boosted its rating on UNH ahead of Q1 results, providing analyst support into the earnings period and helping lift sentiment. Raymond James Boosts UnitedHealth (UNH) Rating Before Q1 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings previews and commentary note UNH enters Q1 reporting (Apr 21) with weak guidance last quarter but still broad analyst support — the upcoming print is a near-term catalyst. UnitedHealth Q1 Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Upcoming Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Preview/market pieces flag April 21 as a make-or-break quarter for validating management’s recovery narrative after a turbulent year. Earnings outcome will likely drive the next leg of the stock’s move. Is April 21 When UnitedHealth Group Finally Sheds Its Problem Past?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary warns of recent weakness — UNH has fallen materially over the past six months after softer results and below-trend guidance; downside risks remain if Q1 disappoints or regulatory/ margin pressures persist. 2 Reasons to Watch UNH and 1 to Stay Cautious

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.