Homestead Advisers Corp Buys 28,200 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Homestead Advisers Corp increased its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 220,500 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,200 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 1.8% of Homestead Advisers Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Homestead Advisers Corp’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $76,139,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Islay Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth $31,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the 2nd quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 105 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 3.0%

UNH stock opened at $275.70 on Thursday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week high of $606.36. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $328.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $323.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $249.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.90, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.41.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.02%.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating and a $405 price target, arguing UNH remains high‑quality and can weather Medicare volatility — a supportive institutional view for the stock. Bernstein Reiterates Outperform on UnitedHealth
• Positive Sentiment: Buy‑the‑dip arguments surfaced: analysts and commentators point to strong cash flows, Optum’s AI efficiency plans, insider buying and a long‑term growth target from management as reasons the recent selloff may be overdone. UnitedHealth: Buy The Dip
• Positive Sentiment: Bull case pieces reiterate durable competitive advantages (Optum, scale in Medicare Advantage) that could support a recovery if policy headwinds moderate. UnitedHealth Bull Case Theory
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street still shows many buy/overweight ratings and a median price target well above current levels (around $390), creating a technical floor if sentiment stabilizes. Quiver Quantitative Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate personnel note — Optum/UNH executive Terry Clark was appointed CEO at the PGA of America; largely background news but worth noting senior exec visibility. Terry Clark Appointed CEO at PGA of America
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate trigger — CMS’s advance Medicare rate notice (near‑flat 0.09% growth) spooked investors because it implies constrained reimbursement for Medicare Advantage in 2027, pressuring UNH’s margin outlook and precipitating heavy selling. CMS Medicare Rate Notice Fallout
• Negative Sentiment: Operational concerns: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and the medical care ratio rose, and management signaled shedding lower‑margin Medicare members to protect profitability — raising near‑term growth/guidance uncertainty. Is It Time To Reassess UnitedHealth?
• Negative Sentiment: Broker and market skepticism: Truist and other outlets trimmed outlooks or voiced caution, amplifying short‑term bearish pressure amid regulatory risk and margin uncertainty. Truist Issues Pessimistic Forecast

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Leerink Partners dropped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $375.46.

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.