Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. Decreases Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Cullen Frost Bankers cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 7.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,945 shares and leaving it with 73,514 shares valued at about $24.3 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 87.86% of UNH shares held by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Several large funds, including Vanguard and Capital World Investors, increased their positions during recent quarters.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $7.23 versus the $6.76 estimate and revenue of $111.65 billion. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 2.3%.

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 7.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 73,514 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 5,945 shares during the quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $24,268,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after buying an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the 3rd 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 raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% in the 3rd 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 during the period. Capital Research Global Investors increased 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 acquiring an additional 7,293,009 shares during the period. Finally, Dodge & Cox increased 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 acquiring an additional 755,076 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH opened at $389.19 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $404.15. The company has a 50 day moving average of $320.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $318.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $353.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.64.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. 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, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is presently 66.77%.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire’s exit may be more about portfolio reshuffling under Greg Abel than a clear change in UnitedHealth’s fundamentals, so the selloff could be sentiment-driven rather than purely operational. Reuters: UnitedHealth falls after Berkshire sells stake in health insurer
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 earnings estimate for UNH to $6.87 per share from $6.77, signaling some analyst confidence ahead of future results. Zacks: UnitedHealth Under the Microscope After Berkshire Pulls the Plug
• Neutral Sentiment: A proposed bill focused on HSA expansion, price transparency, and prescription-drug access could affect managed-care economics over time, but it is still early-stage and not an immediate catalyst. Quiver Quantitative: New Bill H.R. 8324
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports also highlight UNH’s recent weakness tied to rising medical costs and unfavorable member mix, reinforcing investor concerns that margins may remain pressured. Yahoo Finance: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Fell 33% as Rising Medical Costs and Member Mix Pressured Earnings

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNH. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $395.00 price objective (up from $370.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, HSBC upgraded 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 note on Tuesday, April 7th. One investment 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $381.48.

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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