Empirical Asset Management LLC Invests $1.42 Million in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Empirical Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 3,408 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock, valued at approximately $1,416,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on UNH shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $429.00 to $441.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Bank of America reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $463.00 to $478.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $455.92.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth is reportedly prioritizing Medicare Advantage profitability over rapid membership growth by tightening benefits, improving pricing and controlling costs. The strategy could support stronger margins and more sustainable earnings, even if enrollment growth moderates. Is UnitedHealth Finding a Better Path to Medicare Advantage Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research added UNH to its Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” lists for overall stocks, value stocks and income stocks. The repeated favorable rankings may reinforce investor confidence in the shares. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 21st
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised several forward EPS estimates, including Q1 2028 to $7.36 from $6.78 and Q2 2028 to $7.19 from $5.84. A separate report also noted an increase in the Q1 EPS estimate, while Zacks maintained a Strong Buy rating. Q1 EPS Estimate for UnitedHealth Group Increased by Analyst
• Neutral Sentiment: Forecast revisions were mixed: Q3 2027 EPS was reduced to $4.74 from $4.81 and Q4 2027 to $4.07 from $4.12, partially offsetting the increases for 2028.
• Negative Sentiment: Aon expects U.S. employer health-care costs to rise 9.5% in 2027. Persistent medical-cost inflation could pressure insurers’ margins and increase pricing, benefit and utilization-management challenges for UnitedHealth. AON Sees No Relief From Health-Cost Inflation

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $390.94 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $413.99 and a 200-day moving average of $355.96. The stock has a market cap of $350.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $255.96 and a 52 week high of $461.62.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total transaction of $205,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 16,497 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,763,770. This represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

UnitedHealth Group 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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