UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Appleton Partners Inc. MA

Appleton Partners Inc. MA cut its position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 6.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 42,857 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 2,888 shares during the period. Appleton Partners Inc. MA’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $14,148,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,059,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,572,193,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during the third quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $36,471,000 after buying an additional 2,316 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 48.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,790 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,806,000 after buying an additional 1,901 shares during the period. Finally, Phoenix Financial Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% during the third quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $14,282,000 after purchasing an additional 22,137 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on UNH. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $372.13.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $269.62 on Tuesday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $606.36. The business has a 50-day moving average of $295.77 and a 200-day moving average of $324.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $244.72 billion, a PE ratio of 20.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.41.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $113.73 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 revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

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.