Smead Capital Management Inc. Has $101.91 Million Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Smead Capital Management reduced its UnitedHealth Group stake by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, but still held 308,723 shares valued at about $101.9 million.
• Several analysts remained constructive on UNH, including UBS raising its price target to $460 and reiterating a Buy rating, while the consensus view stayed at Moderate Buy.
• UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected Q1 results with $7.23 EPS and $111.65 billion in revenue, but the stock still faces ongoing scrutiny over Medicare Advantage overpayments and other regulatory risks.

Smead Capital Management Inc. cut its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 308,723 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 21,395 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises approximately 2.1% of Smead Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Smead Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $101,912,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,059,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 59.1% during the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 12,380 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,275,000 after acquiring an additional 4,600 shares during the last quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% in the 3rd quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $14,282,000 after buying an additional 22,137 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 43.1% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 287,132 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $99,147,000 after buying an additional 86,432 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $13,691,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $460 from $410 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on UBS target increase
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted by multiple outlets as a high-quality stock and a turnaround bet, with commentary noting that managed care is outgrowing the broader economy and that the company is benefiting from AI adoption in operations. Motley Fool article on AI and turnaround
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth also appeared in a hedge-fund “high quality stocks” list and a Goldman Sachs conviction-list discussion, which supports the stock’s investment case but does not change fundamentals on its own. InsiderMonkey article on turnaround case
• Negative Sentiment: There is still headline risk around Medicare Advantage overpayments, with a Congressional committee estimating about $7 billion annually in excess payments to private insurers, which could keep regulatory scrutiny on managed-care names like UNH. 247WallSt article on Medicare Advantage overpayments
• Negative Sentiment: Recent discussion also noted that Berkshire-linked selling contributed to a prior stock slide, underscoring that investor sentiment can still turn quickly. Barchart article on Berkshire stake sale

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $327.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $387.57.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.6%

NYSE:UNH opened at $388.42 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $404.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $352.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.64. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $326.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $319.63.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The firm's revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.77%.

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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