UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Markel Group Inc.

Markel Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 29.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 18,700 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 7,800 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $5,060,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in 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. State Street Corp increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $14,931,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,834 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after purchasing an additional 824,120 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,215,660,000 after buying an additional 680,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% during 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. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock traded down $6.63 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $425.05. 3,797,031 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,701,382. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $399.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $338.88. The firm has a market cap of $386.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $434.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 70.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $453.00 to $468.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. UBS Group upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Leerink Partners increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $417.38.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $463 from $400 and kept an outperform rating, signaling continued upside potential ahead of earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare launched a Lifestyle Spending Account benefit through UHC Store, which could make UNH more attractive to employers by adding flexible wellness benefits and simplifying administration. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight bullish setup momentum into the company’s July 16 earnings report, with investors expecting earnings and guidance to remain important catalysts. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s home health program HouseCall was reported to be associated with fewer inpatient stays and ER visits, which is a positive operational sign but not an immediate market-moving event. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary also noted that UnitedHealth has delivered strong cash returns to shareholders over time, but some analysts are questioning whether the stock is now fully valued after its sharp recovery. Article
• Negative Sentiment: The broader healthcare sector was one of the weakest parts of the market today, and UNH was specifically cited as a drag on the Dow, which can weigh on the stock even if company-specific news is favorable. Article

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.