UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Carnegie Investment Counsel

Key Points

• Carnegie Investment Counsel reduced its UnitedHealth Group stake by 3.4% in the third quarter, selling 3,336 shares and retaining 93,619 shares valued at approximately $32.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.86% of UNH.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly earnings of $4.69 per share, exceeding the $4.14 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $112.7 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $463.57.
• Despite improved sentiment following the earnings beat and raised outlook, investors face risks from rising medical costs, regulatory scrutiny, enrollment declines and concerns that the stock’s recovery may already be reflected in its valuation.

Carnegie Investment Counsel lessened its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 3.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 93,619 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 3,336 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $32,877,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $245,516,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,444,928,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,019,844,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $31,946,594,000 after buying an additional 3,395,530 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth $971,757,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analyst initiated coverage with a Strong Buy rating and a $533 price target, citing margin recovery, improved Optum Health contracts and AI-related efficiencies as potential drivers of double-digit EPS growth through 2028. The analyst also viewed UNH’s valuation as discounted relative to the healthcare sector. UnitedHealth: Optum's Recovery Supports My Strong Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was selected as a CNBC “Final Trades” stock after its better-than-expected quarterly results, adding to favorable short-term investor sentiment. Twilio, Transocean and a Health Care Stock on CNBC's Final Trades
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors are reassessing UNH after the earnings beat and raised outlook, while commentary suggests the stock’s recent momentum reflects renewed confidence in medical-cost trends and operational execution. UnitedHealth Group Has The Market Asking A Bigger Question
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s results have renewed interest in healthcare ETFs with UNH exposure, although diversification may reduce the impact of company-specific gains and limit direct upside. Healthcare ETFs to Buy as UnitedHealth Beats on Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: A competing analyst downgraded UNH from Strong Buy to Buy, arguing that the shares may already reflect much of the recovery at roughly 20 times forward earnings. Valuation, medical-cost pressure and execution risks remain concerns. UnitedHealth: My Thesis Has Played Out, I Wouldn't Chase Here
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of rising healthcare costs, reduced services and higher prescription-drug prices for older Americans could increase political scrutiny and pressure insurers’ affordability and retention metrics. Older Americans Brace for Higher Healthcare Costs Ahead of Midterms
• Negative Sentiment: Declining individual-market enrollment and reports that millions of seniors may lose Medicare Advantage plans highlight regulatory, membership and pricing risks for the broader insurance industry, including UNH. 3.2 Million Seniors Will Lose Their Medicare Advantage Plans in 2027

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on UNH. Weiss Ratings upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Barclays reduced their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $502.00 to $504.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $402.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $435.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $463.57.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $419.70 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $376.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.93, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $387.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $387.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.74. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $255.96 and a 52-week high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $0.55. The company had revenue of $112.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. UnitedHealth Group's revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.64 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is 53.00%.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated NYSE: UNH is a diversified health care company that provides health insurance coverage, health care services, pharmacy services and health technology. Its businesses serve individuals, employers, government programs, health care providers and other organizations, primarily in the United States.

The company operates through two principal businesses. UnitedHealthcare offers health benefit plans and related services for employers, individuals, families and government-sponsored programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

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