UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stake Decreased by Verdence Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Verdence Capital Advisors cut its UnitedHealth stake by 73.6% in the third quarter, selling 10,393 shares and retaining 3,737 shares valued at approximately $1.37 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.86% of UNH.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly EPS of $4.69, beating estimates of $4.14, while revenue reached $112.70 billion. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share, representing a 2.3% annualized yield.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with 20 Buy ratings and eight Holds, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $463.93 versus the reported share price of $406.81.

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 73.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,737 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 10,393 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $31,946,594,000 after purchasing an additional 3,395,530 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,633,267 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $18,966,555,000 after buying an additional 301,081 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,704,994 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $4,449,317,000 after buying an additional 616,723 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,675,175 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $4,436,923,000 after buying an additional 583,536 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1,443.7% in the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 8,447,224 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $3,510,920,000 after buying an additional 7,900,011 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $406.81 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market cap of $365.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.60. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $255.96 and a 12 month high of $461.62. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $389.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $361.74.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The company had revenue of $112.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 17.95% and a net margin of 3.53%. UnitedHealth Group's revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.59 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.62 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 53.00%.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on UNH. New Street Research set a $402.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $529.00 to $531.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $463.93.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings estimates increased. Zacks Research raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $23.29 from $22.28 and its FY2028 estimate to $26.60 from $25.74, signaling improved expectations for UnitedHealth’s future profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lifted its price target. The firm increased its target to $531 from $529 and maintained an “Overweight” rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Morgan Stanley Adjusts Price Target on UnitedHealth Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term estimates were mixed. Zacks raised its Q2 2027 EPS forecast to $6.62 from $6.35, but slightly reduced its Q4 2026 estimate to $2.24 from $2.25. Zacks continues to rate UNH “Hold,” indicating limited conviction despite stronger longer-term projections.
• Neutral Sentiment: Fraud-prevention collaboration highlights operational opportunities. UnitedHealth and Codoxo plan to present AI-based methods for identifying healthcare fraud beyond traditional claims data. The initiative could support payment integrity and cost control, though it is not expected to materially affect near-term results. Codoxo and UnitedHealth Group fraud presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Investor uncertainty remains elevated. A law firm is soliciting shareholders over allegations concerning potential insider fiduciary-duty violations. The notice does not establish wrongdoing, but such announcements can add reputational and legal-risk concerns. UnitedHealth shareholder legal notice
• Negative Sentiment: Industry margin pressure remains a concern. A comparison with Molina Healthcare points to elevated medical costs and membership-related pressure across managed-care companies, factors that could weigh on UnitedHealth’s near-term margins even as its recent earnings exceeded expectations. Molina Healthcare versus Elevance Health and UnitedHealth

UnitedHealth Group Company 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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