Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. Buys New Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 7,893 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $2,725,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% in the second quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC now owns 4,425 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,380,000 after purchasing an additional 791 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $36,471,000 after buying an additional 2,316 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,572,193,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 20.7% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 20,683 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,462,000 after purchasing an additional 3,545 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 48.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,790 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,806,000 after purchasing an additional 1,901 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $406.00 price objective on the stock. Leerink Partners set a $410.00 price target on UnitedHealth Group and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $386.33.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho reiterated a Buy on UNH and kept a $430 price target, highlighting the importance of the upcoming Medicare Advantage 2027 Advance Notice as a potential tailwind for enrollment and margins. Mizuho reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Reddit and X has moved from deeply bearish to neutral over the past week, helping shares recover after retail-driven selling earlier this month. Reddit sentiment shift
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly (from $411 to $409) but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst confidence despite a small technical cut to the target. Morgan Stanley target change
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary and market moves note UNH has outperformed the broader market in short-term trading, reflecting mixed buying interest ahead of the Jan. 27 catalyst. Outperforms broader market
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth executives faced tough questioning from Congress on healthcare affordability — a reminder of political/regulatory risk that could pressure policy outcomes or public perception. Congressional grilling
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced it will rebate 2026 ACA plan profits to customers, which could weigh on near-term margins and highlights ongoing regulatory/competitive pressure in the individual market. ACA profit rebate
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn of rising medical costs and a higher medical cost ratio (MCR) heading into Q4 results — several pieces advise caution until the Jan. 27 release when clearer margin and cost detail will arrive. Cost pressures warning

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $356.46 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market cap of $322.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.42. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $606.36. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $332.07 and a 200-day moving average of $323.59.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.19 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 19.23% and a net margin of 4.04%.UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $7.15 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.14%.

UnitedHealth Group Company 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.