Kovack Advisors Inc. Buys 6,181 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Kovack Advisors Inc. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 30.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 26,813 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 6,181 shares during the period. Kovack Advisors Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $8,851,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after buying an additional 824,120 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,158,734,000 after buying an additional 1,155,162 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,376,167,000. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 7,293,009 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced it will report second-quarter 2026 results on July 16, with a conference call the same morning. While this is not a financial update itself, it gives investors a clear catalyst to watch and often keeps attention on the stock. UnitedHealth Group Announces Earnings Release Date
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: JPMorgan reportedly raised its price target on UNH, Erste Group increased FY2027 EPS estimates, and Mizuho boosted its target to $460 while reiterating an Outperform rating. That suggests Wall Street sees more earnings upside ahead. Mizuho Boosts UnitedHealth (UNH) Target as Managed Care Outlook Improves
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth also announced a dividend increase, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive, income-producing healthcare stock. 3 Stocks That Announced Dividend Hikes Amid Geopolitical Tensions
• Positive Sentiment: The stock recently hit a 52-week high, reflecting a strong rebound from last year’s weakness and signaling momentum-driven buying interest. UnitedHealth Group Just Hit a 52-Week High. Is It Too Late to Buy This Soaring Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles also noted that UNH remains a “top-ranked momentum stock” and a “moderate buy” among brokerages, which supports the stock but does not by itself change fundamentals. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a Top-Ranked Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on UNH shares. TD Cowen boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. UBS Group boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. HSBC upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $444.00 to $492.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $407.17.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

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

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE UNH opened at $405.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $415.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $368.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.63, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $359.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $326.28.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 66.77%.

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.