Altfest L J & Co. Inc. Cuts Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Altfest L J & Co. Inc. cut its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 72.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,721 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 4,492 shares during the quarter. Altfest L J & Co. Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $568,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Hurley Capital LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 81.6% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 89 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:UNH opened at $304.63 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $283.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $318.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $276.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.10, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.40. 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 Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $606.36.

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 firm 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%.UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UNH. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Evercore raised UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Leerink Partners decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $363.42.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CMS finalized a ~2.48% increase to 2027 Medicare Advantage reimbursements, which analysts say adds meaningful revenue/earnings upside for large MA players like UNH and drove an immediate sentiment lift. UnitedHealth Stock Edges Higher After Medicare Advantage Payment Update
• Positive Sentiment: Street reaction includes price‑target raises and upgrades (e.g., Bernstein boosted its UNH target to $411 and HSBC upgraded to Hold), signaling increased analyst conviction that the CMS action improves the outlook. Sanford C. Bernstein Boosts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $411.00
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile buying (reporting that Warren Buffett added ~5M UNH shares during the pullback) has been cited as a confidence signal that helped support the post‑CMS bounce. Warren Buffett bought 5M UnitedHealth shares as it tanked. A $13B Medicare boosted it. Was he right?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and valuation notes are being updated to reflect the CMS increase; many firms still point to long‑term growth from Optum and diversification even as near‑term math changes. Market attention and re‑ratings are ongoing. A Look At UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Valuation After The Medicare Advantage Payment Increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note that CMS relief helps margins but rising utilization and medical cost inflation remain a drag; the net impact depends on how much cost trends moderate versus reimbursement gains. Can UnitedHealth Ease Margin Pressure on CMS Tailwinds?
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators warn the CMS-driven rally may be short‑lived — cautioning that one policy bump doesn’t solve utilization and cost issues, and that upcoming earnings could re‑test the move. UnitedHealth Stock Jumps on Better-Than-Expected Medicare Advantage Rates. Here’s Why the Rally Might Be Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Critical takes argue investors should be cautious about extrapolating CMS relief into sustained outperformance — skepticism around durability of margin improvement and idiosyncratic risks remain. UnitedHealth Group: Don’t Drink The CMS Kool-Aid

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.