Avantax Planning Partners Inc. Raises Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Avantax Planning Partners Inc. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 34.0% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 5,801 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,472 shares during the period. Avantax Planning Partners Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $2,003,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. North Capital Inc. raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% during the third quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $662,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Axis Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Axis Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,631 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Abound Wealth Management raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% during the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Seamount Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 4.7% in the second quarter. Seamount Financial Group Inc. now owns 818 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $255,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $352.32 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $319.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.39, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.42. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week high of $606.36. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $332.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $323.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.14%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Baird frames UnitedHealth’s decision to rebate ACA profits to customers as a strategic, industry‑positive move that could preserve market positioning and limit regulatory scrutiny. Baird Calls UNH’s ACA Rebate Strategic
• Neutral Sentiment: UNH is reporting Q4 results and holding an earnings call on Jan. 27 — an immediate catalyst that will drive short‑term volatility as investors digest revenue, margin trends and management guidance. Earnings Call Transcript / Upcoming Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have been updating forecasts ahead of the print; some boutiques and accuracy‑ranked analysts revised estimates — these changes shape expectations but outcomes will depend on the actual guidance. Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead of Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and previews (e.g., Seeking Alpha, Blockonomi) discuss whether Q4 results can stabilize the stock after prior declines; useful for scenario analysis but not new fundamentals. Guidance In Focus During Quarterly Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of analyst upgrades/downgrades and pre‑earnings expectation pieces are circulating; these can nudge sentiment intraday but are secondary to the regulatory and earnings headlines. Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades Roundup
• Negative Sentiment: The Trump administration proposed keeping Medicare Advantage rates roughly flat for next year (average increase ~0.09%), a development that directly reduces expected revenue growth for insurers with MA exposure and triggered significant selling pressure across the sector. WSJ/Reuters: Proposal to Keep Medicare Rates Steady
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was sharp: major health insurers, including UnitedHealth, fell in extended trading after the rate proposal was reported — this reflects investor concern about near‑term earnings/loss of margin leverage from Medicare Advantage. CNBC: Health Insurers Tumble After Rate Proposal
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target on UNH to $409, signaling lowered analyst conviction on near‑term upside and adding downward pressure on sentiment ahead of earnings. Morgan Stanley Cuts UNH Price Target

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the subject of several research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $433.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $286.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $386.33.

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.