Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires 73,993 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group increased its UnitedHealth stake by 526.3% in Q4, buying 73,993 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 88,053 shares valued at about $29.1 million.
• UnitedHealth reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $7.23 topping estimates and revenue of $111.65 billion beating expectations. The company also maintained FY 2026 guidance and continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share.
• Wall Street remains generally positive on UNH, with several firms raising price targets and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy; however, the stock still faces regulatory risk tied to Medicare Advantage overpayment scrutiny.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 526.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 88,053 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 73,993 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $29,067,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its position 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 buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth about $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $388.42 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $404.15. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $326.93 and a 200-day moving average of $319.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $352.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.64.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is 66.77%.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $460 from $410 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on UBS target increase
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted by multiple outlets as a high-quality stock and a turnaround bet, with commentary noting that managed care is outgrowing the broader economy and that the company is benefiting from AI adoption in operations. Motley Fool article on AI and turnaround
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth also appeared in a hedge-fund “high quality stocks” list and a Goldman Sachs conviction-list discussion, which supports the stock’s investment case but does not change fundamentals on its own. InsiderMonkey article on turnaround case
• Negative Sentiment: There is still headline risk around Medicare Advantage overpayments, with a Congressional committee estimating about $7 billion annually in excess payments to private insurers, which could keep regulatory scrutiny on managed-care names like UNH. 247WallSt article on Medicare Advantage overpayments
• Negative Sentiment: Recent discussion also noted that Berkshire-linked selling contributed to a prior stock slide, underscoring that investor sentiment can still turn quickly. Barchart article on Berkshire stake sale

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Mizuho lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. HSBC raised UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $387.57.

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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