HighTower Advisors LLC Grows Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 12% in the second quarter, acquiring 73,003 additional shares for a total of 682,746 shares valued at approximately $283.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.86% of UNH.
• UnitedHealth exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $6.38 in EPS and $112.03 billion in revenue, while setting 2026 EPS guidance of $19.50–$20.00. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share, representing a 2.3% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $456.56, although investors continue to monitor medical-cost controls and valuation following the stock’s rebound.

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 682,746 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after acquiring an additional 73,003 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.08% of UnitedHealth Group worth $283,770,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $396.79 on Monday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $255.96 and a 52-week high of $461.62. The firm has a market cap of $356.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.53, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.61. The business's 50-day moving average price is $411.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $364.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th will be issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.72%.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings and guidance have improved. UnitedHealth recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $19.50–$20.00, and benefited from better medical-cost trends. Optum’s momentum and a greater focus on profitable businesses are also supporting the turnaround. UnitedHealth’s Earnings Beat And Cost Controls Could Be A Game Changer
• Positive Sentiment: Reducing prior authorizations could improve member and provider relationships. UnitedHealthcare plans to eliminate authorization requirements for roughly 1,700 services, including certain cardiology, laboratory, therapy, orthopedic and home-health procedures, beginning October 1. Less administrative friction could improve customer satisfaction, access to care and long-term retention. UnitedHealth Group To Cut Prior Authorizations For 1,700 Services
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare’s defensive characteristics may attract investors. Sector rotation driven by interest rates, oil prices and employment conditions could favor defensive healthcare stocks over higher-growth areas. However, analyst commentary remains mixed on whether UNH is still attractively valued after its roughly 39% six-month recovery.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are questioning medical-cost discipline. Removing approval barriers may accelerate care and payments, but it could also weaken a key mechanism used to manage utilization and expenses. The market is watching whether faster approvals undermine margins. UnitedHealth Falls as 30% of Approval Barriers Vanish
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves less room for disappointment. After a substantial rebound, UNH trades near $400 per share, leading some analysts to argue that investors have already priced in much of the recovery while margins and certain business challenges still need to improve.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on UNH. Zacks Research upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. TD Cowen increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $460.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $466.00 to $516.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded UnitedHealth Group from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $287.00 to $453.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $456.56.

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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