Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Has $100.54 Million Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Manning & Napier Advisors cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 65% in the fourth quarter, though it still held 302,684 shares worth about $100.54 million at quarter-end.
• UnitedHealth has several recent positive catalysts, including a plan to eliminate prior authorization for 30% of healthcare services and multiple analysts raising price targets or earnings estimates.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $7.23 per share beating estimates and revenue of $111.65 billion topping forecasts, while also paying a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share.

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 65.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 302,684 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 563,282 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group accounts for 1.3% of Manning & Napier Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $100,540,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ethic Inc. lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 94,010 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $31,034,000 after buying an additional 2,458 shares in the last quarter. Ballast Inc. lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Ballast Inc. now owns 15,946 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $5,264,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 16,719 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $5,519,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the last quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 22.2% in the fourth quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 35,401 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $11,686,000 after purchasing an additional 6,422 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 17.3% during the fourth quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC now owns 7,171 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $2,367,000 after buying an additional 1,060 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it will eliminate prior authorization for 30% of healthcare services, a potentially investor-friendly move that may streamline care and reduce complaints about insurer approvals. UnitedHealth to Eliminate Prior Authorization for 30% of Healthcare Services
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for UnitedHealth, signaling confidence in longer-term profitability, and kept a Buy rating on the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted in commentary about value stocks and recovery prospects, which may support investor interest but does not appear to be a direct fundamental catalyst. UnitedHealth: Watch The Recovery In Action
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research cut near-term and Q4 2027 earnings estimates, which is a headwind, but the revisions were not as central as the company’s policy change and may reflect more cautious forecasting rather than a major deterioration. Bullish Quarterly Results: 3 Companies Raising Guidance

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $379.49 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $344.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.64. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $387.21. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $304.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $316.98.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $411.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. HSBC raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $378.88.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

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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