D.A. Davidson & CO. Acquires 3,980 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 4.7%, purchasing 3,980 shares to hold 88,998 shares valued at approximately $32.67 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.86% of UNH.
• Analysts remain broadly positive: 20 rate the stock a Buy and eight rate it Hold, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $463.93.
• UnitedHealth exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $4.69 in EPS and $112.7 billion in revenue, while paying a quarterly dividend of $2.32. Investors continue to monitor medical-cost pressure and legal-risk concerns.

D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 88,998 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 3,980 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $32,670,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Altus USA Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 97.1% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 67 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Nvwm LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 89.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 70 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the subject of several analyst reports. Argus raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $401.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, July 20th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $493.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $463.93.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $406.81 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market capitalization of $365.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.60. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $255.96 and a 12 month high of $461.62. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $389.32 and a 200-day moving average of $361.74.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 17.95% and a net margin of 3.53%. The business had revenue of $112.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.59 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.62 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 53.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings estimates increased. Zacks Research raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $23.29 from $22.28 and its FY2028 estimate to $26.60 from $25.74, signaling improved expectations for UnitedHealth’s future profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lifted its price target. The firm increased its target to $531 from $529 and maintained an “Overweight” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Morgan Stanley Adjusts Price Target on UnitedHealth Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term estimates were mixed. Zacks raised its Q2 2027 EPS forecast to $6.62 from $6.35, but slightly reduced its Q4 2026 estimate to $2.24 from $2.25. Zacks continues to rate UNH “Hold,” indicating limited conviction despite stronger longer-term projections.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fraud-prevention collaboration highlights operational opportunities. UnitedHealth and Codoxo plan to present AI-based methods for identifying healthcare fraud beyond traditional claims data. The initiative could support payment integrity and cost control, though it is not expected to materially affect near-term results. Codoxo and UnitedHealth Group fraud presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Investor uncertainty remains elevated. A law firm is soliciting shareholders over allegations concerning potential insider fiduciary-duty violations. The notice does not establish wrongdoing, but such announcements can add reputational and legal-risk concerns. UnitedHealth shareholder legal notice
• Negative Sentiment: Industry margin pressure remains a concern. A comparison with Molina Healthcare points to elevated medical costs and membership-related pressure across managed-care companies, factors that could weigh on UnitedHealth’s near-term margins even as its recent earnings exceeded expectations. Molina Healthcare versus Elevance Health and UnitedHealth

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated NYSE: UNH is a diversified health care company that provides health insurance coverage, health care services, pharmacy services and health technology. Its businesses serve individuals, employers, government programs, health care providers and other organizations, primarily in the United States.

The company operates through two principal businesses. UnitedHealthcare offers health benefit plans and related services for employers, individuals, families and government-sponsored programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

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