UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stock: Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Reduces Position

Key Points

• Citizens Financial Group reduced its UnitedHealth stake by 13.8% in the third quarter, selling 2,695 shares and retaining 16,848 shares valued at approximately $6.18 million.
• UnitedHealth reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $4.69, beating the $4.14 consensus estimate, while revenue of $112.7 billion also exceeded expectations. Management set fiscal 2026 EPS guidance at least $20.50.
• Institutional investors own 87.86% of the stock, which recently traded at $417.97. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $463.80, while the company offers a $9.28 annualized dividend yielding about 2.2%.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI cut its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 13.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,848 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 2,695 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $6,184,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Wellington Altus USA Inc. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 97.1% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 67 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the period. Security National Bank of SO Dak acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Nvwm LLC boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 89.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 70 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $417.97 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $375.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.87, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $388.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $390.48. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $255.96 and a 1 year high of $461.62.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter beat and raised outlook support the shares. Adjusted EPS rose approximately 61% to $4.69, exceeding the $4.14 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $112.7 billion versus expectations of $111.3 billion. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50, reinforcing investor confidence in its cost controls and execution. UnitedHealth beat-and-raise quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Optum Health’s performance improved materially. The unit’s profit increased to $735 million, helping demonstrate operating leverage and contributing to UnitedHealth’s post-earnings recovery. Optum Health profit surge
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations and valuation support remain favorable. Erste Group raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $20.55 from $19.86 and its FY2027 estimate to $23.29 from $22.51. Mizuho also lifted its price target to $500 from $493 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying additional upside from the referenced price. Mizuho raises UnitedHealth price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention and value-based coverage may increase trading interest. Zacks highlighted heightened investor attention and characterized UNH as a value stock, but these are sentiment and screening signals rather than new fundamental developments. Zacks value-stock analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Higher 2027 Medicare costs could pressure affordability and margins. The planned increase in costs for seniors may create political and utilization concerns, potentially offsetting some of the recent earnings momentum. Healthcare stocks also faced broader sector pressure in recent trading. UnitedHealth 2027 Medicare costs

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the subject of several research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Leerink Partners lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $462.00 to $472.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $480.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $463.80.

About UnitedHealth Group

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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