Davis Selected Advisers Raises Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Davis Selected Advisers increased its UnitedHealth stake by 11.8% in Q4, buying 134,097 shares to hold 1,273,400 shares worth about $420.37 million, making UNH its 18th-largest position.
• UnitedHealth beat Q1 expectations (EPS $7.23 vs. $6.76; revenue $111.65B vs. $109.84B), raised FY‑2026 guidance to about $18.25 EPS and the stock jumped roughly 14.5%, with Goldman Sachs adding UNH to its U.S. conviction list.
• CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares for about $284,000 (a 4.3% reduction in his stake), and the company pays a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share (about a 2.4% yield).

Davis Selected Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 11.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,273,400 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 134,097 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up 1.9% of Davis Selected Advisers' holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Davis Selected Advisers owned about 0.14% of UnitedHealth Group worth $420,369,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $7,516,107,000 after acquiring an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,042,710,000 after acquiring an additional 1,747,337 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after acquiring an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dodge & Cox lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.6% in the third quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 9,505,636 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $3,282,296,000 after acquiring an additional 755,076 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $369.29 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $409.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $335.39 billion, a PE ratio of 27.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $299.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $317.38.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.77%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and outlook lift — UnitedHealth reported a sizable Q1 beat, raised its 2026 outlook and earlier popped ~14.5% on the results, giving the company fresh earnings momentum that supports higher valuations. UnitedHealth Pops 14.5% After Q1 Beat: Still a Buy or Too Late Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs endorsement — Goldman added UNH to its U.S. conviction list, a notable buy-side vote that can attract institutional flows and lend support to the stock. Goldman Sachs Adds UnitedHealth to Its Conviction List: Is the Managed Care Comeback Real?
• Positive Sentiment: Strong recent momentum vs. peers — UNH slightly outperformed Humana in April’s managed-care rally, signaling resilience vs. a key peer during a positive sector backdrop. UnitedHealth or Humana: Which Managed Care Stock Had the Healthiest Returns in April?
• Positive Sentiment: Buy thesis discussion — Analyst commentary is probing whether UNH is now undervalued after the rally, which can attract long-term buy interest if investors buy the growth/Optum story. Is UnitedHealth Stock an Undervalued Stock to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: CVS valuation context — Coverage noting CVS trades much cheaper than UNH highlights relative valuation differences that may shift some value-oriented flows away from UNH. CVS Earnings Are Coming. Why the Stock Is No Longer a Value Trap.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/ETF context — A note on the Invesco S&P 500 Revenue ETF is tangential but relevant for portfolio allocation decisions that could affect large-cap names like UNH. Should Invesco S&P 500 Revenue ETF (RWL) Be on Your Investing Radar?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitor strength — Cigna reported strong results led by Evernorth, and an improving peer picture can pressure market-share expectations or investor preference within the sector. Cigna Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Evernorth Unit
• Negative Sentiment: Insider trimming — Optum CEO Patrick Conway sold about $284k of UNH stock after earnings (his first 2026 sale), which can be read as modest profit-taking and may add to near-term selling pressure. UnitedHealth Stock Has Rallied Since Earnings. One Top Insider Is Trimming His Stake.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UNH. Weiss Ratings downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Mizuho decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $378.88.

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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