UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp

Key Points

• UNIVEST Financial Corp cut its UnitedHealth Group stake by 29.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 14,416 shares and ending with 33,834 shares valued at about $11.17 million.
• Despite that sale, most large institutional investors remain heavily invested in UNH, with firms like Vanguard, Capital World Investors, and Capital Research Global Investors all increasing positions; institutions and hedge funds own 87.86% of the stock.
• UnitedHealth reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, while also announcing a quarterly dividend and seeing generally positive analyst sentiment, including multiple price-target increases.

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp decreased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 29.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,834 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 14,416 shares during the quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $11,169,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $7,516,107,000 after buying an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,042,710,000 after buying an additional 1,747,337 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after acquiring an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dodge & Cox increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.6% during the third quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 9,505,636 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $3,282,296,000 after purchasing an additional 755,076 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it will eliminate prior authorization for 30% of healthcare services, a potentially investor-friendly move that may streamline care and reduce complaints about insurer approvals. UnitedHealth to Eliminate Prior Authorization for 30% of Healthcare Services
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for UnitedHealth, signaling confidence in longer-term profitability, and kept a Buy rating on the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted in commentary about value stocks and recovery prospects, which may support investor interest but does not appear to be a direct fundamental catalyst. UnitedHealth: Watch The Recovery In Action
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research cut near-term and Q4 2027 earnings estimates, which is a headwind, but the revisions were not as central as the company’s policy change and may reflect more cautious forecasting rather than a major deterioration. Bullish Quarterly Results: 3 Companies Raising Guidance

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $379.49 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $304.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $316.98. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $387.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $344.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.66, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its 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. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group'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. Sell-side analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on UNH shares. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $411.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, HSBC raised UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $378.88.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

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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