Aberdeen Group plc Trims Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Aberdeen Group plc lowered its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 9.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 843,742 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 87,866 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.09% of UnitedHealth Group worth $278,528,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in 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 period. Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,042,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,747,337 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after purchasing an additional 7,293,009 shares during the last quarter. Dodge & Cox increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 9,505,636 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,282,296,000 after buying an additional 755,076 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 9,109,692 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $3,145,577,000 after buying an additional 144,109 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded UNH to Outperform and set a $330 target, citing greater-than-expected expense/margin upside (particularly at Optum Health) and potential earnings upside over the next few years. Why Raymond James Says Wall Street Is Underestimating UnitedHealth’s Earnings Power
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights UnitedHealth’s strong earnings‑surprise history and says the company has the setup to beat estimates again, supporting near‑term upside if execution continues. Will UnitedHealth (UNH) Beat Estimates Again?
• Positive Sentiment: Contrarian analysts and coverage (e.g., Investopedia) argue the sharp multi-quarter pullback has created a buying opportunity, noting attractive forward multiples and potential for a rebound. That narrative is drawing value‑focused buyers. UnitedHealth Stock: This Analyst Says It’s Time to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed but tilted positive: multiple firms maintain buy/outperform ratings and median price targets remain well above the current price (median ~$385), while institutional rebalancing has produced both large buys and large sells. UNH Opinions on Plunge Below Buffett Purchase Price
• Negative Sentiment: Leerink warns UNH faces its largest RADV (risk‑adjustment) audit exposure, a regulatory/audit risk that could pressure future margins and create earnings uncertainty. Leerink Sees Largest RADV Audit Exposure
• Negative Sentiment: Market chatter and coverage note sizable YTD declines and regulatory/Medicare rate worries; social media and fund flows highlight investor concern after shares fell below high‑profile purchase levels, keeping volatility high. Is UnitedHealth Now A Potential Opportunity?

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $277.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $251.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.40. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $606.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $284.61 and its 200 day moving average is $320.40.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $6.81 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings cut UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Raymond James Financial raised UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $363.38.

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.