Focused Investors LLC Acquires 12,000 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Focused Investors LLC grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 516,000 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,000 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up 5.5% of Focused Investors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Focused Investors LLC owned about 0.06% of UnitedHealth Group worth $178,175,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Country Trust Bank lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 10.6% in the third quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 125,401 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $43,301,000 after purchasing an additional 11,969 shares during the period. American Capital Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 7.5% during the third quarter. American Capital Advisory LLC now owns 557 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $192,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Wright Investors Service Inc. boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 14.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 14,508 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $5,010,000 after purchasing an additional 1,788 shares in the last quarter. Generali Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at $31,198,000. Finally, Applied Capital LLC FL grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 9.1% during the third quarter. Applied Capital LLC FL now owns 5,377 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,857,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $286.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. KeyCorp upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $406.00 target price for the company. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $385.75.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $338.73 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $606.36. The company has a market cap of $306.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 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. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $330.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $321.98.

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

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.14%.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.