Plato Investment Management Ltd Purchases 4,863 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Plato Investment Management increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 26.6% in the second quarter, purchasing 4,863 shares and bringing its holdings to 23,178 shares worth approximately $9.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.86% of UNH.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly EPS of $6.38, exceeding estimates by $1.44, while revenue reached $112.03 billion. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $19.50–$20.00 and declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $455.92; however, UNH shares opened at $388.03, down 1.5%, and the company continues to face regulatory and legal risks.

Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 26.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,178 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 4,863 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $9,577,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 42.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 351 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $146,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. AMG National Trust Bank grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 20.5% during the 2nd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 14,966 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,220,000 after buying an additional 2,548 shares in the last quarter. Avise Financial Cooperative Inc. boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.9% during the second quarter. Avise Financial Cooperative Inc. now owns 1,109 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $461,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at $228,000. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 156.7% in the 2nd quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 31,667 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $13,162,000 after purchasing an additional 19,330 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.5%

UNH stock opened at $388.03 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $414.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $355.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $348.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.62. 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 Incorporated has a twelve month low of $255.96 and a twelve month high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.08 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th will be paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UNH. Mizuho lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $455.92.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised earnings forecasts. Zacks Research increased its estimates for Q1 2027 EPS to $7.12, Q2 2027 EPS to $6.35, fiscal 2027 EPS to $22.28 and fiscal 2028 EPS to $25.74. Zacks maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating, signaling expectations for continued earnings recovery. Zacks Research earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation and operating trends could support a recovery. A Zacks analysis said improving medical costs, higher earnings estimates and shareholder capital returns make UnitedHealth appear reasonably valued at approximately 18.39 times forward earnings, although regulatory risks remain. UnitedHealth valuation analysis
• Positive Sentiment: The dividend remains a support for income-focused investors. UnitedHealth authorized a dividend while facing governance litigation, reinforcing its capital-return appeal, though the payout does not remove the company’s broader legal risks. UnitedHealth dividend authorization

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total value of $205,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 16,497 shares in the company, valued at $6,763,770. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company 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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