Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 34,694 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 463,792 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 34,694 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 0.05% of UnitedHealth Group worth $160,148,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Islay Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the 2nd quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 105 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and near-term optimism: UNH reported an EPS beat that briefly lifted sentiment and helped the stock rally after the print. That positive earnings surprise shows operations can still deliver despite headwinds. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Potential policy upside: Commentary that UNH is negotiating with the administration for more favorable Medicare rates is a tailwind if realized, supporting longer-term policy risk mitigation. 5 Stocks Primed for a Turnaround in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst adjustments but continued support: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target slightly while keeping an Overweight rating, signaling analyst conviction remains even as near-term assumptions are revised. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on durability: Several analyst pieces argue the current weakness may be temporary (AI-driven efficiencies, margin recovery) — this creates mixed near-term flows as value buyers size positions vs. risk-averse sellers. UnitedHealth: Opportunity Is Here – Temporary FY2026 Pain
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts: Barclays and Wells Fargo lowered targets (while keeping Overweight ratings), signaling reduced near-term expectations and likely weighing on buying momentum. Analyst Price Target Changes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reimbursement pressure: Proposed smaller Medicare reimbursements and government scrutiny of insurer margins remain the largest catalyst for the sell-off and uncertainty around 2026-27 margins. UnitedHealth Plunges After Weak Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated bearish positioning: Unusual options activity showed a large jump in put buying, indicating short-term hedging or speculative bearish bets that can amplify downward moves. (Options volume data reported 376,697 puts traded vs. average ~163k.)

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $287.03 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $330.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $323.51. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $606.36. The stock has a market cap of $260.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays lowered their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Leerink Partners decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. 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 two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.75.

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.