NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 41.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,897 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after acquiring an additional 7,273 shares during the quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC's holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $9,235,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. General Partner Inc. bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $512,000. PBCay One RSC Ltd bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $14,343,000. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,180,000. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.4% during the 2nd quarter. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. now owns 38,510 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $16,006,000 after acquiring an additional 4,557 shares during the period. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 1,287.2% in the first quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. now owns 60,022 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $16,241,000 after purchasing an additional 55,695 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Significant earnings beat: Third-quarter net income rose to $4.11 billion, or $4.56 per share, from $2.35 billion, or $2.59 per share, a year earlier. Results exceeded Wall Street expectations by a wide margin. UnitedHealth Charts Continued Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year outlook raised: Management increased its 2026 profit guidance, reinforcing confidence that cost controls and operational improvements can support earnings growth. The company’s previously stated guidance range was $19.50 to $20.00 in adjusted EPS. UnitedHealth Group tops estimates, hikes profit outlook as insurer manages high medical costs
• Positive Sentiment: Medical-cost trends improved: Spending on medical care, a major pressure point for insurers, showed signs of stabilizing. UnitedHealth also said investments in value-based care and artificial intelligence are beginning to contribute to performance. UnitedHealth Earnings Beat Wall Street Estimates. The Turnaround Continues.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus remains on execution: Analysts had been watching for top-line growth, insurance margins and guidance after a difficult period for the sector. The latest report offers evidence of recovery, but investors will likely seek confirmation that the gains continue into 2027. UnitedHealth Q3 earnings in focus as investors look for top-line growth
• Negative Sentiment: Cost risks have not disappeared: UnitedHealth is still managing high medical expenses, leaving the stock sensitive to any renewed deterioration in utilization or insurance margins. Elevated expectations and recent volatility may also limit the immediate upside from the earnings beat.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.3%

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NYSE:UNH opened at $377.98 on Tuesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62. The firm has a market cap of $339.27 billion, a PE ratio of 24.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The company has a 50-day moving average of $388.03 and a 200 day moving average of $381.81.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group's quarterly revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

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The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th were issued a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 14th. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UNH. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $468.00 to $529.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen raised UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Mizuho upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Bank of America reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $401.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $462.59.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on UnitedHealth Group

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

(Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated NYSE: UNH is a diversified health care and well-being company serving individuals, employers, health care providers and government programs. Its operations are organized primarily through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and services, including employer-sponsored coverage, individual and family plans, Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and other government-supported programs. Its services include health insurance administration, pharmacy benefits and care management.

Optum provides health care services, technology and data solutions, pharmacy services, and analytics to health plans, employers, government agencies, health care providers and consumers.

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