UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by West Branch Capital LLC

West Branch Capital LLC reduced its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 16.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,246 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 2,194 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group accounts for approximately 1.0% of West Branch Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. West Branch Capital LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $3,713,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at $1,059,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,572,193,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $36,471,000 after acquiring an additional 2,316 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 worth $1,806,000 after acquiring an additional 1,901 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Phoenix Financial Ltd. increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% during the third quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $14,282,000 after purchasing an additional 22,137 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of UNH opened at $277.30 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36. The stock has a market cap of $251.70 billion, a PE ratio of 21.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.40. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $284.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $320.40.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The business had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $6.81 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 67.02%.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded UNH from Market Perform to Outperform and set a $330 price target, citing upside from expense leverage and margin improvement (notably at Optum Health). The upgrade is the main near-term catalyst lifting the stock. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading 1.2% Higher After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results show revenue growth and a small EPS beat, and analysts point to continued upside if UnitedHealth sustains margin improvement; investors are watching upcoming quarters for confirmation. Will UnitedHealth (UNH) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Product/tech update: UnitedHealth’s new “Avery Assistant” AI system is being highlighted as a potential efficiency and margin enhancer for care delivery—an operational story that could support earnings if adoption scales. Here’s What United Health’s (UNH) New Avery Assistant System Means For The Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street still shows wide target dispersion but many firms remain constructive (median 6‑month targets north of the current price), keeping upside narratives alive while volatility persists. UnitedHealth Group Stock (UNH) Opinions on Plunge Below Buffett Purchase Price
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/audit risk remains a key downside: Leerink flagged sizable RADV audit exposure that could create earnings volatility or reserve needs if outcomes are adverse. This is a near-term risk priced in by some investors. Leerink sees UnitedHealth stock facing largest RADV audit exposure
• Negative Sentiment: Sentiment remains mixed because the stock has declined sharply from prior highs; social and institutional debate about valuation, government scrutiny and Medicare rate risk keeps downside scenarios on the table. UnitedHealth Stock Has Lost Nearly Half Its Value in the Last Year. This Analyst Says It’s Time to Buy.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UNH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial dropped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Evercore upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $363.38.

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.