UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Bought by Rafferty Asset Management LLC

Rafferty Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 100,532 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 4,643 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $34,714,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Islay Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 81.6% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 89 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board affirms quarterly cash dividend of $2.21/share (record March 9, payable March 17), which supports income investors and signals steady capital return policy. Dividend Steady as Margins Tighten Might Change The Case For Investing In UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: reports show UNH trading materially higher after the dividend announcement, indicating short-term buying interest tied to the payout confirmation. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading 3.7% Higher Following Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Relative strength vs. peers: analysts argue UNH’s scale and diversified model give it better upside versus Humana as managed-care margins are tested, supporting a longer-term constructive view. UnitedHealth vs. Humana: Which Healthcare Stock Has More Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector flows: some strategists recommend rotating into defensive names and healthcare, which could provide tailwinds for UNH even as the macro outlook weakens. Time for Investors to Get Defensive. Sell Staples and Buy Healthcare.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and margin pressure: coverage highlights weaker 2026 revenue guidance and rising medical costs (especially Medicare-related), which compress margins and are a key reason for investor caution. Dividend Steady as Margins Tighten Might Change The Case For Investing In UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling: Aristotle Growth Equity Fund exited its UNH position citing lowered guidance — a signal some funds are trimming exposure ahead of margin headwinds. Aristotle Growth Equity Fund Exited UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Due to Lowered Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price weakness and re-rating: commentary notes a sizable multi-month share-price decline and that UNH is down since the last earnings report, underscoring investor concerns about near-term earnings and margin recovery. Is It Time To Reassess UnitedHealth Group (UNH) After A 37% Share Price Slide?

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on UNH shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $292.97 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $265.38 billion, a PE ratio of 22.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $311.98 and a 200-day moving average of $325.45. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $606.36.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $113.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

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.