Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 34,694 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lowered its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 463,792 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 34,694 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $160,148,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. North Capital Inc. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the third quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $662,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Axis Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Abound Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% during the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Seamount Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.7% in the second quarter. Seamount Financial Group Inc. now owns 818 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on UNH. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Bank of America increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH stock opened at $287.03 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $330.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $323.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $606.36. The firm has a market cap of $260.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The company had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.81 earnings per share. 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. On average, equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.02%.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and near-term optimism: UNH reported an EPS beat that briefly lifted sentiment and helped the stock rally after the print. That positive earnings surprise shows operations can still deliver despite headwinds. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Potential policy upside: Commentary that UNH is negotiating with the administration for more favorable Medicare rates is a tailwind if realized, supporting longer-term policy risk mitigation. 5 Stocks Primed for a Turnaround in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst adjustments but continued support: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target slightly while keeping an Overweight rating, signaling analyst conviction remains even as near-term assumptions are revised. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on durability: Several analyst pieces argue the current weakness may be temporary (AI-driven efficiencies, margin recovery) — this creates mixed near-term flows as value buyers size positions vs. risk-averse sellers. UnitedHealth: Opportunity Is Here – Temporary FY2026 Pain
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts: Barclays and Wells Fargo lowered targets (while keeping Overweight ratings), signaling reduced near-term expectations and likely weighing on buying momentum. Analyst Price Target Changes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reimbursement pressure: Proposed smaller Medicare reimbursements and government scrutiny of insurer margins remain the largest catalyst for the sell-off and uncertainty around 2026-27 margins. UnitedHealth Plunges After Weak Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated bearish positioning: Unusual options activity showed a large jump in put buying, indicating short-term hedging or speculative bearish bets that can amplify downward moves. (Options volume data reported 376,697 puts traded vs. average ~163k.)

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.