Country Trust Bank Acquires 11,969 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Country Trust Bank boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 10.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 125,401 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,969 shares during the quarter. Country Trust Bank’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $43,301,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Bank of America raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $406.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $385.75.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth launched a six‑month Medicare Advantage pilot that speeds MA payments by ~50%, cutting cycles to under 15 days to ease cash‑flow stress for rural hospitals — a move that reduces provider friction and supports network stability. Does UnitedHealth’s MA Pilot Signal a New Rural Support Model?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive — several Wall Street reports and roundup pieces highlight buy/hold interest and may be supporting the rally as investors reassess UNH after last year’s decline. Is UnitedHealth (UNH) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Positive Sentiment: Relative valuation and profitability comparisons to peers (e.g., Forbes notes UNH’s stronger operating margin and much lower P/E vs. CVS) support the case that UNH is cheaper on fundamentals, which can attract value‑oriented buyers. UNH Stock vs. CVS
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying was reported (Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. acquired shares), a signal some investors interpret as management/insider confidence. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Acquired Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options‑market coverage shows active positioning and sentiment analysis; these flows can amplify moves but don’t by themselves change fundamentals. Monitor put/call skew and open interest for near‑term volatility cues. UnitedHealth Group Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets flag UNH as a trending/most‑searched stock — increased attention can boost volume and short‑term moves but is not a directional fundamental catalyst. Here is What to Know Beyond Why UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces emphasize that UNH faces material headwinds after a 2025 drop (cited by Motley Fool and MSN), noting operational problems and a need for execution to restore investor confidence — these narratives can cap upside until evidence of sustained improvement appears. UnitedHealth just got a checkup, and UNH stock has some big problems to treat in 2026. The bull and bear cases now.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage reviewing whether to buy/sell highlights that last year’s issues drove a large drawdown and that valuation alone doesn’t remove execution risk — keep an eye on upcoming quarters for margin and membership trends. Is UnitedHealth Group Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold in 2026?

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.1%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $338.73 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $606.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a 50 day moving average of $330.19 and a 200-day moving average of $321.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $306.84 billion, a PE ratio of 17.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.05. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The business had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.15 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 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.