Aureus Asset Management LLC Trims Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Aureus Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 3.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 125,691 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 4,339 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group accounts for 2.3% of Aureus Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Aureus Asset Management LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $34,011,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market-watchers highlighted improving earnings estimates for UnitedHealth, with Zacks upgrading UNH to a Strong Buy and noting that rising consensus forecasts could support more upside. Will UnitedHealth (UNH) Gain on Rising Earnings Estimates?
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on UNH to $516 and kept an overweight rating, signaling continued confidence in the company’s turnaround and earnings power. UnitedHealth Group had its price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also pointed to strong quarterly results, raised guidance, and a $5 billion buyback authorization as catalysts that could support further gains in UNH. A $5 Billion Reason to Buy UnitedHealth Stock Here
• Positive Sentiment: UNH was also featured as a dividend and defensive healthcare name, reinforcing investor demand for stable cash flow and lower-volatility exposure. UnitedHealth Stock: Is It Headed for $500?
• Neutral Sentiment: CNBC’s “Final Trades” mention added visibility to UNH, but the item did not include a specific new thesis or company-specific development. Nvidia, Goldman Sachs, UnitedHealth and an Energy Stock on CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts cautioned that UNH’s rebound may not be linear and could face near-term consolidation, suggesting investors may see pauses or pullbacks even within a broader recovery. UnitedHealth: Recovery Unlikely To Be Linear – Near-Term Consolidation Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare commentary also noted skepticism around the sector’s AI story, which may weigh on sentiment for some healthcare names if investors view the narrative as overstated. Fishbone Advisors Survey: Institutional Investors See Healthcare’s AI Story as Overblown

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. Raymond James Financial upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $466.00 to $516.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $429.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised UnitedHealth Group from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the company from $287.00 to $453.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $455.92.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $431.68 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $406.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $344.46. The firm has a market cap of $392.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.78, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $461.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.78.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. The business had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. Research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.65 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 59.72%.

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.