Sterling Capital Management LLC Cuts Stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Sterling Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 6.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 56,634 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 4,008 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $15,325,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH opened at $427.47 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $427.93. The stock has a market cap of $388.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.29, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.64. The business has a fifty day moving average of $383.92 and a 200 day moving average of $332.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 70.09%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with multiple firms reiterating bullish ratings and several recent price-target increases, including a new $475 target from BofA Securities. That suggests analysts see room for further upside as margins and Optum Health improve. What to Expect From UnitedHealth Group’s Q2 2026 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Investors appear to be rotating into healthcare as a defensive play while technology stocks weaken, which is supporting demand for UNH shares. Social-media chatter also points to continued interest in the company’s recovery narrative and its resilient insurance and medical-services business. UnitedHealth Group Stock (UNH) Opinions on Market Rotation and Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage ahead of the Q2 2026 report says analysts expect double-digit EPS growth, reinforcing the idea that earnings could justify the stock’s recent move higher. What to Expect From UnitedHealth Group’s Q2 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles also frame UNH as a long-term value and healthcare watchlist name, which supports investor interest but does not by itself add a fresh catalyst.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on UNH shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Argus raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $395.00 to $453.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $410.79.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Company 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.