UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stock Position Raised by BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 65.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 31,952 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,601 shares during the period. BNP Paribas’ holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $10,546,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,376,167,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after buying an additional 7,293,009 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,516,107,000 after buying an additional 3,439,182 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,042,710,000 after acquiring an additional 1,747,337 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lone Pine Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $528,273,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE UNH opened at $380.03 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $338.84 and a 200-day moving average of $321.92. The company has a market cap of $345.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.70, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $404.15. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $7.20 EPS. The firm’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. On average, equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UNH. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. HSBC raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $399.50.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group (UNH) from $395 to $440 and kept a buy rating, reinforcing Wall Street’s confidence in the stock’s upside. Benzinga report on Truist price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it will eliminate nearly two-thirds of pediatric prior authorizations by year-end, a move that could reduce paperwork, speed care access, and improve provider relations. Can UnitedHealth’s Pediatric Authorization Cuts Ease Care Delays?
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent commentary pieces highlighted UNH as a durable long-term cash-flow generator, which may be supporting investor sentiment around its healthcare scale and recurring demand. 247WallSt article
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and social-media trading chatter showed continued interest in UNH, with traders pointing to support around the mid-$300s and upside targets near $400-$420, but this is more technical sentiment than a fundamental catalyst. Quiver Quantitative discussion summary
• Negative Sentiment: Massachusetts filed a lawsuit accusing UnitedHealth of inflating Medicaid patient risk scores to secure higher payments, adding legal, reputational, and reimbursement risk for the company. UnitedHealth Lawsuit Raises Fresh Questions On Medicaid Revenue And Investor Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Separate reporting on allegations tied to UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage advertising practices keeps regulatory scrutiny in focus, which can weigh on investor confidence. GlobeNewswire article

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.