Smead Capital Management Inc. Has $101.91 Million Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Smead Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 6.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 308,723 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 21,395 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up 2.1% of Smead Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Smead Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $101,912,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of UNH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after acquiring an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $377,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 1.6%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $388.42 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $404.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $352.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.34, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $326.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $319.63.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 66.77%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $460 from $410 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on UBS target increase
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted by multiple outlets as a high-quality stock and a turnaround bet, with commentary noting that managed care is outgrowing the broader economy and that the company is benefiting from AI adoption in operations. Motley Fool article on AI and turnaround
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth also appeared in a hedge-fund “high quality stocks” list and a Goldman Sachs conviction-list discussion, which supports the stock’s investment case but does not change fundamentals on its own. InsiderMonkey article on turnaround case
• Negative Sentiment: There is still headline risk around Medicare Advantage overpayments, with a Congressional committee estimating about $7 billion annually in excess payments to private insurers, which could keep regulatory scrutiny on managed-care names like UNH. 247WallSt article on Medicare Advantage overpayments
• Negative Sentiment: Recent discussion also noted that Berkshire-linked selling contributed to a prior stock slide, underscoring that investor sentiment can still turn quickly. Barchart article on Berkshire stake sale

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on UNH shares. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $395.00 target price (up from $370.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial raised UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $387.57.

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.