Patten & Patten Inc. TN Trims Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Patten & Patten Inc. TN reduced its UnitedHealth Group stake by 8.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 4,568 shares and leaving it with 48,021 shares worth about $15.85 million.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $7.23 versus estimates of $6.76 and revenue of $111.65 billion versus expectations of $109.84 billion. The company also reaffirmed FY2026 guidance.
• Recent headlines around UNH were mixed but included a potentially positive move to eliminate prior authorization for 30% of healthcare services, while several analysts raised price targets and maintained bullish ratings on the stock.

Patten & Patten Inc. TN cut its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 8.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 48,021 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 4,568 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises about 0.9% of Patten & Patten Inc. TN's holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Patten & Patten Inc. TN's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $15,852,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC grew its position in 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 worth $2,367,000 after buying an additional 1,060 shares in the last quarter. 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. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 21.0% during the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 409 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc. now owns 30,312 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $10,006,000 after buying an additional 512 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1,609.1% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 226,009 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $74,608,000 after purchasing an additional 212,785 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Key Stories 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%

UNH opened at $379.49 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $304.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $316.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $344.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.66, a PEG ratio of 1.59 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 0.79. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $387.21.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is 66.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Leerink Partners upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group cut their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $378.88.

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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