Simon Quick Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 64.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,598 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 4,682 shares during the period. Simon Quick Advisors LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $858,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 81.6% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 89 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.
Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group
Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance raise: UNH reported a quarterly EPS beat and raised FY guidance, which analysts say has driven renewed momentum and a sharp short‑term share rebound. This is the primary driver behind today’s lift. A Look At UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Valuation As Q1 2026 Beat And Guidance Hike Drive Fresh Momentum
- Positive Sentiment: Prior authorization modernization: UnitedHealthcare said it will standardize a majority of electronic prior‑authorization submissions (70%+ by year‑end), reducing provider friction and potentially lowering administrative costs. This supports margin improvement expectations. UnitedHealthcare Champions Industry Effort to Standardize Prior Authorization Requirements
- Positive Sentiment: Large call‑option activity: Reported heavy buying of UNH call options signals bullish positioning from traders anticipating further upside after the earnings beat. That can amplify near‑term upward pressure on the stock. Investors Purchase Large Volume of UnitedHealth Group Call Options
- Positive Sentiment: High‑profile bullish media/analyst commentary: Jim Cramer and several outlets/analysts have highlighted UNH as a buy after the Q1 print, which is helping retail and momentum flows. Jim Cramer Says UNH at $354 Is a Steal — Here’s Why the Math Backs Him Up
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades / favorable coverage: Argus and other outlets have upgraded or upgraded coverage tone recently, adding credibility to the recovery story. Argus Research upgrades UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate: Coverage discusses UNH’s P/E and valuation after the rebound; some view the stock as a value play now, while others caution the 1‑year TSR still lags. Valuation is driving contrasting investor views, sustaining volatility. UnitedHealth: Recovery Is Progressing, But Upside May Be Limited Near Term
- Negative Sentiment: Optum Health execution risk / limited near‑term upside: Independent analysis notes that while medical margins improved, Optum Health margins remain challenged and some recovery gains may be non‑structural—this could limit upside if operational recovery stalls. UnitedHealth: Recovery Is Progressing, But Upside May Be Limited Near Term
- Negative Sentiment: Governance proposal: A shareholder proposal seeking an independent board chair is drawing attention; the board opposes it. Governance disputes can create noise and potentially weigh on sentiment if shareholder activism grows. Independent Chair Proposal Tests Governance And Valuation Views At UnitedHealth Group
- Positive Sentiment: Rural health initiative: UNH launched a broad rural health program and prior‑authorization reductions for rural providers, strengthening growth/PR narrative in underserved markets. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) Launches Broad Rural Health Initiative to Strengthen Underserved Communities
- Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst notes: A recent price‑target adjustment (TD Cowen raise to $337 but maintained Hold) implies limited near‑term upside from some sell‑side desks—this can temper aggressive buy calls. TD Cowen raises price target to $337 (Hold)
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several brokerages have recently commented on UNH. Argus upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Barclays raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $327.00 to $373.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $411.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $377.64.
Read Our Latest Research Report on UNH
UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance
NYSE UNH opened at $355.05 on Monday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week high of $424.12. The stock has a market cap of $322.46 billion, a PE ratio of 26.82, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.40. 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 firm's fifty day moving average price is $293.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $316.63.
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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.
UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.77%.
UnitedHealth Group Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
Read More
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
Before you consider UnitedHealth Group, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and UnitedHealth Group wasn't on the list.
While UnitedHealth Group currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Market downturns give many investors pause, and for good reason. Wondering how to offset this risk? Click the link to learn more about using beta to protect your portfolio.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.