HighTower Advisors LLC Boosts Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors increased its UnitedHealth stake by 12% in the second quarter, purchasing 73,003 shares to hold 682,746 shares valued at approximately $283.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.86% of UNH.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly EPS of $6.38, beating the $4.94 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $112.03 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $455.92.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32, equivalent to an annualized $9.28 payout and a 2.3% yield. However, ongoing shareholder lawsuits involving governance, cybersecurity and AI-driven claim denials present legal and reputational risks.

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 12.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 682,746 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 73,003 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned about 0.08% of UnitedHealth Group worth $283,770,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $14,931,592,000 after buying an additional 1,119,834 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $7,457,723,000 after acquiring an additional 824,120 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,215,660,000 after acquiring an additional 680,077 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,158,734,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155,162 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $395.02 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $255.96 and a 12 month high of $461.62. The stock has a market cap of $354.57 billion, a PE ratio of 25.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $415.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $353.65.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is 59.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on UNH shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. BMO Capital Markets set a $512.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings lowered UnitedHealth Group from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $455.92.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth authorized a dividend, reinforcing shareholder returns and signaling confidence in its financial position. However, the announcement comes amid an ongoing governance lawsuit, which may limit its positive impact. UnitedHealth Group Authorizes Dividend Amid Governance Lawsuit
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street’s average brokerage recommendation remains favorable, suggesting analysts believe UnitedHealth’s valuation and earnings outlook could support the shares. The bullish view is tempered by the tendency of sell-side recommendations to skew optimistic. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About UnitedHealth
• Neutral Sentiment: The expected guilty plea by Luigi Mangione in the federal case involving the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson could bring additional clarity to a high-profile event, but it does not materially change UnitedHealth’s operating outlook. Luigi Mangione Reportedly Set to Plead Guilty
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder lawsuit alleges UnitedHealth misled investors, failed to address governance and cybersecurity weaknesses, and discontinued an internal Medicare billing audit before the Change Healthcare cyberattack. The claims increase potential legal, regulatory and reputational risks. Investor Suit Says UnitedHealth Ignored Governance and Cybersecurity Gaps
• Negative Sentiment: A derivative lawsuit reportedly says executives knew that patients won roughly 90% of appeals against AI-generated claim denials. The allegation raises concerns about the accuracy of automated utilization management, potential compliance costs and damage to UnitedHealth’s reputation. UNH Patients Win 90% of AI Denial Appeals
• Negative Sentiment: An investor analysis argues that margin recovery is already reflected in UnitedHealth’s valuation, leaving future earnings growth as the next major test. This limits upside if revenue or membership growth disappoints. UnitedHealth Margin Recovery Is Priced In

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of UnitedHealth Group 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,763,770. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Company 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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