UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Westpac Banking Corp

Westpac Banking Corp lessened its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 23.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 21,544 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 6,532 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $7,112,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UNH. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $373.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Leerink Partners raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $399.50.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $440 from $395 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling continued confidence in the company’s earnings power and upside potential.
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it plans to eliminate nearly two-thirds of pediatric prior authorizations by year-end, which could reduce administrative burden and improve access to care, a potentially favorable operational move.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent opinion-style articles highlighted UNH as a long-term cash-flow and dividend-growth name, reflecting ongoing interest in the stock as a defensive healthcare holding rather than a clear near-term catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: New Medicare reimbursement concerns are weighing on sentiment, as investors worry changes to government payment rates could pressure UnitedHealth’s margins and future growth. Article: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Hit by Medicare Reimbursement Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Massachusetts’ lawsuit over alleged inflation of Medicaid patient risk scores adds legal and reputational risk, raising questions about revenue recognition and government-program scrutiny. Article: UnitedHealth Lawsuit Raises Fresh Questions On Medicaid Revenue And Investor Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Another legal headline about alleged deceptive Medicare Advantage advertising practices adds to concerns that regulatory and litigation risks may stay elevated for UNH. Article: Ninth Circuit Anticipated to Rule on UnitedHealthcare’s Alleged Deceptive Medicare Advantage Advertising Practices – GJLaw

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH stock opened at $377.93 on Wednesday. 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 cap of $343.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $338.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $321.92. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $404.15.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.