Westpac Banking Corp Trims Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Key Points

• Westpac Banking Corp cut its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 23.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 6,532 shares and leaving it with 21,544 shares valued at about $7.1 million.
• Despite that trimming, institutional ownership remains very high, with major funds like Vanguard and Capital World Investors increasing positions and hedge funds/institutions owning 87.86% of the company.
• Analysts remain mostly bullish on UNH: recent updates included higher price targets from Truist and UBS, while the stock also trades amid ongoing concerns over Medicare reimbursement and legal/regulatory risks.

Westpac Banking Corp decreased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 23.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 21,544 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 6,532 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $7,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $7,516,107,000 after acquiring an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,042,710,000 after acquiring an additional 1,747,337 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth $4,376,167,000. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased 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 worth $4,503,419,000 after acquiring an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. 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: Truist raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $440 from $395 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling continued confidence in the company’s earnings power and upside potential.
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it plans to eliminate nearly two-thirds of pediatric prior authorizations by year-end, which could reduce administrative burden and improve access to care, a potentially favorable operational move.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent opinion-style articles highlighted UNH as a long-term cash-flow and dividend-growth name, reflecting ongoing interest in the stock as a defensive healthcare holding rather than a clear near-term catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: New Medicare reimbursement concerns are weighing on sentiment, as investors worry changes to government payment rates could pressure UnitedHealth’s margins and future growth. Article: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Hit by Medicare Reimbursement Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Massachusetts’ lawsuit over alleged inflation of Medicaid patient risk scores adds legal and reputational risk, raising questions about revenue recognition and government-program scrutiny. Article: UnitedHealth Lawsuit Raises Fresh Questions On Medicaid Revenue And Investor Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Another legal headline about alleged deceptive Medicare Advantage advertising practices adds to concerns that regulatory and litigation risks may stay elevated for UNH. Article: Ninth Circuit Anticipated to Rule on UnitedHealthcare's Alleged Deceptive Medicare Advantage Advertising Practices - GJLaw

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE UNH opened at $377.93 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $404.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $343.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. The company's fifty day moving average price is $338.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $321.92.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.20 EPS. The firm'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. As a group, research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. HSBC upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $399.50.

About UnitedHealth Group

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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