Ethic Inc. Purchases 2,948 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 2.8%, buying 2,948 shares in the third quarter. It held 107,811 shares worth about $39.6 million at quarter-end.
• Other institutions also reported share purchases, and institutional investors collectively owned 87.86% of UnitedHealth.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $4.69, topping the $4.14 consensus estimate; analysts’ average rating was “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $463.93.

Ethic Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 2.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 107,811 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 2,948 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises 0.4% of Ethic Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $39,575,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. StoneX Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 36.5% during the 3rd quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 3,632 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,350,000 after acquiring an additional 971 shares during the period. Verus Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at about $598,000. Keyes Stange & Wooten Wealth Management LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 24.8% in the third quarter. Keyes Stange & Wooten Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,237 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $454,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. LightSquare Wealth Management LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. LightSquare Wealth Management LLC now owns 638 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the third quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 15,023 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $5,515,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: ETFs purchased $56.4 million of UNH shares on Nov. 4, a potentially supportive demand signal. ETFs Are Buying UnitedHealth (UNH) on Nov. 4
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s Q3 adjusted EPS of $4.69 topped analyst expectations, and a recent earnings analysis said the results bolstered confidence in a margin recovery. UnitedHealth (UNH) Q3 Earnings Lift Confidence In Margin Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks article characterized Wall Street analysts’ view of UNH as a Buy, offering a favorable sentiment signal, though the article summary did not cite a specific new rating change. Wall Street Analysts See UnitedHealth (UNH) as a Buy: Should You Invest?
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share, equivalent to $9.28 annually and a reported yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group Declares Quarterly Dividend Of $2.32 Per Share
• Negative Sentiment: Utilization and policy concerns remain an overhang for the company, highlighting uncertainty around medical costs and the regulatory environment. Utilization and Policy Concerns Weigh on UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH)
• Negative Sentiment: Renewed calls for a regulatory review of UnitedHealth’s business scale, alongside warnings that AI could disrupt large healthcare companies, add longer-term risk concerns. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Draws Breakup Pressure As AI Threat Enters The Story

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH stock opened at $394.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $390.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $364.03. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $255.96 and a fifty-two week high of $461.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $353.16 billion, a PE ratio of 22.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.51.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $112.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 17.95% and a net margin of 3.53%. The business's quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.59 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.61 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 7th will be paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 7th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is 53.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $478.00 to $498.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $516.00 to $524.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Stephens set a $500.00 price target on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Mizuho increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $493.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $512.00 to $500.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $463.93.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health care company that provides health benefits and health services through two main businesses: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. UnitedHealthcare offers health insurance and related benefit plans to individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Optum provides services across the health care system, including care delivery, pharmacy services, pharmacy benefit management, health technology and data analytics. Its businesses serve consumers, health care providers, employers, health plans and government organizations.

Founded in 1977 as United HealthCare Corporation, the company is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

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