Saranac Partners Ltd Increases Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Saranac Partners Ltd grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 23.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 17,821 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,347 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 2.3% of Saranac Partners Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Saranac Partners Ltd’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $5,880,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. 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 worth $4,503,419,000 after buying an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,516,107,000 after acquiring an additional 3,439,182 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,042,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,747,337 shares during the period. Lone Pine Capital LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $528,273,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 152.3% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,823,871 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $629,783,000 after buying an additional 1,100,850 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $381.48.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire’s exit may be more about portfolio reshuffling under Greg Abel than a clear change in UnitedHealth’s fundamentals, so the selloff could be sentiment-driven rather than purely operational. Reuters: UnitedHealth falls after Berkshire sells stake in health insurer
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 earnings estimate for UNH to $6.87 per share from $6.77, signaling some analyst confidence ahead of future results. Zacks: UnitedHealth Under the Microscope After Berkshire Pulls the Plug
• Neutral Sentiment: A proposed bill focused on HSA expansion, price transparency, and prescription-drug access could affect managed-care economics over time, but it is still early-stage and not an immediate catalyst. Quiver Quantitative: New Bill H.R. 8324
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports also highlight UNH’s recent weakness tied to rising medical costs and unfavorable member mix, reinforcing investor concerns that margins may remain pressured. Yahoo Finance: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Fell 33% as Rising Medical Costs and Member Mix Pressured Earnings

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $389.19 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $320.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $318.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $404.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $353.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.39, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.64.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

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

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.