Metis Global Partners LLC Sells 8,640 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Metis Global Partners LLC lowered its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 18.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,390 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 8,640 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $13,003,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after acquiring an additional 995,210 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after acquiring an additional 824,120 shares during the period. Capital International Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,158,734,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155,162 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $4,376,167,000. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,503,419,000 after buying an additional 7,293,009 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $460 from $440 and reiterated an Outperform rating, citing an improving managed care outlook. Mizuho Boosts UnitedHealth (UNH) Target as Managed Care Outlook Improves
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment remains favorable, with UnitedHealth Group carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are rotating toward healthcare as a defensive sector while tech stocks weaken, which has lifted interest in UNH and other large-cap health insurers. As Tech Stocks Slide, The Healthcare Sector Shines. Why Some Experts Say They Like This Defensive Play
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted UNH as a top-ranked momentum stock, reinforcing the bullish technical setup, but this was more of a screening note than a company-specific catalyst. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a Top-Ranked Momentum Stock: Should You Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UNH hitting or approaching 52-week highs, indicating strong recent momentum, though that can also lead to short-term pullbacks as traders lock in gains. UnitedHealth, Applied Materials, Citigroup Stocks Surged To 52-Week Highs Today: What Drove The Uptick?
• Negative Sentiment: After the recent rally, UNH has seen some consolidation and a modest pullback as investors digest gains, which is likely contributing to the stock’s softer tone today. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Stock Moves -1.28%: What You Should Know

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Leerink Partners upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $407.17.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $407.80 on Thursday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $415.98. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $356.88 and its 200-day moving average is $325.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $370.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.80, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $2.32 dividend. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.77%.

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.