Sarasin & Partners LLP Boosts Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 57.3% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 219,051 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 79,825 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $72,311,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,033,000 after buying an additional 2,324 shares during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $340,000. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $520,000. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 399.8% during the second quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,414 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,185,000 after purchasing an additional 10,730 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: National expansion of doula benefit could boost member retention, improve maternal outcomes and support UnitedHealthcare’s value‑based care positioning — a revenue/medical‑cost leverage play if it reduces expensive complications and drives plan stickiness. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Announces National Expansion of Doula Offering
• Positive Sentiment: Recent insider activity — including a disclosed senator purchase and broader reports of insider buys and heavy call‑option interest — has attracted bullish attention and could support short‑term demand if it signals perceived undervaluation. UnitedHealth Group Stock Opinions on Senator’s Recent Purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street remains generally positive longer term — multiple recent buy/outperform ratings and a median six‑month price target materially above the current level provide upside if execution continues, but much of that is priced in. Analyst Ratings & Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks trimmed a Q4 2027 EPS forecast very slightly (from $3.92 to $3.91) — a technical downward revision that is unlikely to materially change consensus but contributes to near‑term caution among quant/earnings‑sensitive traders.
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term selling pressure: several market writeups flagged a day where UNH fell more than the broader market, reflecting profit‑taking and risk‑off flows; headlines can amplify intraday moves. UNH Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market (Yahoo) Zacks Market Note MSN Market Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and reputational risks persist — DOJ scrutiny around Medicare Advantage reimbursement and public criticism of executive pay amid claim denials keep a discount risk on the multiple and can pressure sentiment if new developments surface. Regulatory Discussion (QuiverQuant)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.1%

UNH stock opened at $277.32 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $297.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $324.27. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $606.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $251.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.41.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.02%.

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.