State of Michigan Retirement System Acquires 36,500 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• State of Michigan Retirement System increased its UnitedHealth Group stake by 14.9% in the first quarter, buying 36,500 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 281,419 shares valued at about $76.1 million.
• UnitedHealth reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $7.23 versus the $6.76 consensus and revenue of $111.65 billion, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $2.32 from $2.21.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on UNH, with multiple price-target hikes and an average rating of “Moderate Buy,” even as investors watch for upcoming earnings and any impact from rising medical costs or stock volatility.

State of Michigan Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 14.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 281,419 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 36,500 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $76,149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 91,496 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,287,000 after purchasing an additional 3,720 shares during the period. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 150,773 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $49,772,000 after buying an additional 3,934 shares during the period. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1,287.2% in the first quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. now owns 60,022 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $16,241,000 after acquiring an additional 55,695 shares during the period. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,888,000. Finally, J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 127.6% in the 4th quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 34,947 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $11,536,000 after purchasing an additional 19,591 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $429.34 on Tuesday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $400.56 and its 200 day moving average is $339.71. The company has a market capitalization of $389.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.43, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $434.30. 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The business had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $2.32 dividend. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In related 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on UNH shares. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. HSBC increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $421.04.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $485 from $397 and kept an overweight rating, signaling confidence in further upside as the insurer’s recovery story gains traction. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight UnitedHealth’s rally, stronger technical setup, and expectations that management has been improving medical cost control and execution, which has kept investors focused on the company’s long-term growth path. Invezz article on UNH chart and rally
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary notes that the Trump administration’s higher-than-expected Medicare Advantage payment boost has also helped support the bullish case for managed-care stocks like UNH. Forbes article on insurer rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are waiting for second-quarter results to see whether UnitedHealth can maintain membership growth, manage rising medical costs, and meet earnings expectations after a period of volatility. Zacks article on Q2 earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: There is also some debate around preventive-care coverage trends and whether expanded coverage for Guardant’s Shield test could alter UNH’s care narrative, though the direct stock impact is uncertain. Yahoo Finance article on Guardant Shield coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and market watchers are warning that UNH’s sharp run-up could leave the stock vulnerable if earnings disappoint or if chart-based momentum fades after results. Kalkine article on UNH turning the corner

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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