Central Bank & Trust Co. Trims Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Central Bank & Trust Co. reduced its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 27.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,803 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 2,903 shares during the period. Central Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $2,576,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $3,837,207,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after acquiring an additional 7,293,009 shares during the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth approximately $1,572,193,000. Dodge & Cox increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% during the second quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,750,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,729,912,000 after purchasing an additional 4,730,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,516,107,000 after purchasing an additional 3,439,182 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on UNH. Barclays cut 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, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $425.00 to $389.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $269.62 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $244.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.44, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.41. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $606.36. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $295.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $324.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several commentary pieces argue current fears are overblown and frame UNH as a long-term buy given its scale, diversified businesses and consistent execution — a view that supports buy-the-dip investors. UnitedHealth Group: Fears Remain Overblown In A Panicky Market
• Positive Sentiment: Retail-investor guidance pieces and The Motley Fool highlight UNH as a healthcare name for long-term investors, arguing recent weakness creates an entry point for patient investors. Have $500? 2 Healthcare Stocks Long-Term Investors Should Buy Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks compares UNH’s steady, diversified model with Centene’s turnaround, saying UNH’s consistency is attractive but upside is constrained by cost and policy risks — a balanced take for investors weighing relative value. The Upside Debate: UnitedHealth’s Consistency vs Centene’s Comeback
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on value-rotation themes lists healthcare/value names as potential beneficiaries of the market shift away from growth; UNH is discussed in the context of being a lower-multiple, large-cap healthcare play. 3 Value Stocks Set to Surge, With Up to 100% Upside by 2028
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and commentary on regulatory challenges are pressuring the stock — stories cite potential regulatory scrutiny and margin risk from policy shifts as tangible near-term headwinds. UnitedHealth (UNH) Stock Faces Pressure from Analyst Downgrades and Regulatory Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes a widening gap between reimbursement rates and medical expenses, a key driver cited for the stock’s YTD decline and for concerns about near-term margin pressure. UnitedHealth Stock Is Down 18% in 2026 and Keeps Stumbling. Should You Buy the Dip Monday?
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst notes and Zacks’ research updates have lowered Q4 and near-term EPS estimates for UNH, increasing downside risk to sentiment until clearer margin trends re-emerge. Q4 EPS Estimate for UnitedHealth Group Decreased by Analyst Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for UNH Earnings

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.