UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stake Lifted by Cibc World Market Inc.

Key Points

• Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its UnitedHealth Group stake by 33.7% in Q4, buying 113,420 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 450,099 shares worth about $148.6 million.
• UnitedHealth’s latest quarter beat expectations, with EPS of $7.23 and revenue of $111.65 billion, and the company also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share from $2.21.
• Wall Street remains constructive on UNH, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $399.50, though recent headlines also point to cost pressure and regulatory/legal scrutiny as potential risks.

Cibc World Market Inc. increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 33.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 450,099 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 113,420 shares during the quarter. Cibc World Market Inc.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $148,582,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 43.1% during the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 287,132 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $99,147,000 after acquiring an additional 86,432 shares during the period. Oberndorf William E acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth about $12,276,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 15.2% during the third quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 48,745 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $16,832,000 after acquiring an additional 6,421 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth about $2,831,000. Finally, Timber Creek Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth about $2,227,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $378.07 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $343.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $322.52. The company has a market cap of $343.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $404.15.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion during 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is currently 66.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UNH. Jefferies Financial Group lifted 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. Mizuho upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. HSBC raised UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Erste Group Bank raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $399.50.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth raised its quarterly dividend by 5% to $2.32 per share, signaling continued confidence in cash flow and a commitment to returning capital to shareholders. UnitedHealth Raises Dividend by 5% as Turnaround Efforts Continue
• Positive Sentiment: At its annual shareholder meeting, shareholders re-elected the board and approved executive compensation, which suggests broad investor support for management’s current strategy. UnitedHealth Group Updates on Annual Shareholder Meeting, Board Actions
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary remains constructive for large HMO operators like UNH, citing aging demographics, stable Medicare premiums, digital healthcare adoption, and M&A opportunities as tailwinds for the sector. 5 HMO Stocks in Focus Amid an Aging U.S. Population, Tech Innovation
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth also issued a standard update on its annual shareholder meeting and board actions, with no major surprise changes disclosed. UnitedHealth Group Updates on Annual Shareholder Meeting, Board Actions
• Negative Sentiment: New reports highlight cost pressure and increased managed care scrutiny, which could weigh on margins if medical costs or regulatory oversight intensify. UnitedHealth Faces Cost Pressure As Managed Care Scrutiny Builds
• Negative Sentiment: Medicare reimbursement concerns and a Massachusetts lawsuit accusing the company of inflating Medicaid patient risk scores add fresh legal and reimbursement risk to the UNH story. UnitedHealth Lawsuit Raises Fresh Questions On Medicaid Revenue And Investor Risk

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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