ProShare Advisors LLC Buys 33,173 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• ProShare Advisors LLC increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 12.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 33,173 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 291,895 shares worth about $96.4 million.
• UnitedHealth beat earnings expectations in its latest quarterly report, posting $7.23 EPS versus the $6.76 consensus and revenue of $111.65 billion, up 2% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive overall, with multiple firms maintaining or raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average target price of $381.48.

ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 12.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 291,895 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 33,173 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $96,357,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $411.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $381.48.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.5%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $389.19 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $404.15. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $320.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $318.59. The company has a market capitalization of $353.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $7.20 EPS. The company's 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, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire’s exit may be more about portfolio reshuffling under Greg Abel than a clear change in UnitedHealth’s fundamentals, so the selloff could be sentiment-driven rather than purely operational. Reuters: UnitedHealth falls after Berkshire sells stake in health insurer
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 earnings estimate for UNH to $6.87 per share from $6.77, signaling some analyst confidence ahead of future results. Zacks: UnitedHealth Under the Microscope After Berkshire Pulls the Plug
• Neutral Sentiment: A proposed bill focused on HSA expansion, price transparency, and prescription-drug access could affect managed-care economics over time, but it is still early-stage and not an immediate catalyst. Quiver Quantitative: New Bill H.R. 8324
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports also highlight UNH’s recent weakness tied to rising medical costs and unfavorable member mix, reinforcing investor concerns that margins may remain pressured. Yahoo Finance: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Fell 33% as Rising Medical Costs and Member Mix Pressured Earnings

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 available at 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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