PARUS FINANCE UK Ltd Acquires 3,850 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• PARUS FINANCE UK Ltd increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 15.9% in the fourth quarter, buying 3,850 more shares and bringing its total to 28,110 shares worth about $9.28 million.
• Several analysts have turned more bullish on UNH, with firms including Mizuho, Bernstein, JPMorgan, and Jefferies raising price targets; the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy with an average target of $397.63.
• Recent company news is mixed: UnitedHealthcare plans to remove prior authorization for many pediatric services, but UNH also faces a Massachusetts lawsuit over alleged Medicaid fraud, adding legal risk to the stock.

PARUS FINANCE UK Ltd increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 15.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 28,110 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after acquiring an additional 3,850 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 2.4% of PARUS FINANCE UK Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. PARUS FINANCE UK Ltd's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $9,279,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. Mizuho increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Erste Group Bank raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $444.00 to $492.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. One 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $397.63.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare said it will eliminate prior authorization requirements for nearly two-thirds of pediatric services by year-end. That could reduce administrative friction, improve patient/provider relations, and support customer satisfaction. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price target on UNH to $492 from $444 and kept an Outperform rating, citing an EPS recovery outlook. Higher price targets from analysts can help reinforce investor confidence. Yahoo Finance article
• Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway fully exited its UNH stake, which is drawing attention to valuation and regulatory risks. While not necessarily a fundamental change, the sale may weigh on sentiment around the stock. Yahoo Finance article
• Negative Sentiment: Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against a UnitedHealth insurance unit, alleging more than $100 million in Medicaid fraud tied to inflated illness severity claims. The lawsuit adds legal and reputational risk for UNH. Investing.com article

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH opened at $379.70 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $336.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $321.55. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $404.15. The company has a market capitalization of $344.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released 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. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.20 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About UnitedHealth Group

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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