NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Sells 1,690 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC cut its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 21,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,690 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $7,982,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 21,312,182 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,624,411,000 after purchasing an additional 675,075 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,837,207,000. Dodge & Cox boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% in the second quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,750,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,729,912,000 after buying an additional 4,730,192 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,502,469 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,340,346,000 after acquiring an additional 432,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 33.8% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 6,191,871 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,904,372,000 after purchasing an additional 1,565,245 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth is running a six-month Medicare Advantage pilot that speeds payments by roughly 50% (sub‑15 day cycles) to help rural hospitals’ cash flow — a move that can reduce provider strain and preserve network stability. Does UnitedHealth’s MA Pilot Signal a New Rural Support Model?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive and media pieces note recent outperformance; one report highlighted a recent session where UNH rose ~1.2%, reflecting pockets of upside sentiment among investors. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Surpasses Market Returns: Some Facts Worth Knowing
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analyst sentiment and buy-side interest are being cited as supportive factors as brokers review UNH ratings and earnings prospects. Is UnitedHealth (UNH) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Positive Sentiment: Filings show a purchase by Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros Jr., which can be interpreted as incremental insider/institutional demand. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Acquired Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and sentiment analyses are active (heavy trading / interest), giving insight into positioning but not a clear directional signal. UnitedHealth Group Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with peers (CVS, Centene) show UNH has lagged on total return over the past year but retains stronger operating margin and a more moderate P/E — a mixed fundamental picture for relative-value investors. UNH Stock vs. CVS
• Neutral Sentiment: Several trend/overview pieces note UNH as a widely watched ticker; that attention increases flows but doesn’t guarantee direction. Here is What to Know Beyond Why UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Roundups (Dogs of the Dow) include dividend and yield context that may attract income-focused buyers, but UNH’s yield/placement vs. high-yield names is mixed. The Dogs of the Dow: 10 Downtrodden Dividends Paying Out Up to 6.8%
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators flag material margin compression after a sharp rise in healthcare costs last year, which has depressed profits and is the primary near‑term concern driving selling pressure. UnitedHealth at an Inflection Point: Margin Recovery or Prolonged Challenges?
• Negative Sentiment: Balanced ‘checkup’ pieces outline bear-case headwinds for 2026 (costs, potential reimbursement/policy risks) that keep investors cautious despite structural scale advantages. UnitedHealth just got a checkup, and UNH stock has some big problems to treat in 2026. The bull and bear cases now

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $378.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $433.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $385.75.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $331.25 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $330.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $322.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $300.06 billion, a PE ratio of 17.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.