Bessemer Group Inc. Acquires 1,100,850 Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 152.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,823,871 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,100,850 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group comprises about 1.0% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $629,783,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,837,207,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,572,193,000. Dodge & Cox grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% in 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 period. Lone Pine Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $528,273,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 33.8% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 6,191,871 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,904,372,000 after acquiring an additional 1,565,245 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 3.0%

UNH stock opened at $275.70 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $249.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.90, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $328.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $323.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.82. 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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The company’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 67.02%.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating and a $405 price target, arguing UNH remains high‑quality and can weather Medicare volatility — a supportive institutional view for the stock. Bernstein Reiterates Outperform on UnitedHealth
• Positive Sentiment: Buy‑the‑dip arguments surfaced: analysts and commentators point to strong cash flows, Optum’s AI efficiency plans, insider buying and a long‑term growth target from management as reasons the recent selloff may be overdone. UnitedHealth: Buy The Dip
• Positive Sentiment: Bull case pieces reiterate durable competitive advantages (Optum, scale in Medicare Advantage) that could support a recovery if policy headwinds moderate. UnitedHealth Bull Case Theory
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street still shows many buy/overweight ratings and a median price target well above current levels (around $390), creating a technical floor if sentiment stabilizes. Quiver Quantitative Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate personnel note — Optum/UNH executive Terry Clark was appointed CEO at the PGA of America; largely background news but worth noting senior exec visibility. Terry Clark Appointed CEO at PGA of America
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate trigger — CMS’s advance Medicare rate notice (near‑flat 0.09% growth) spooked investors because it implies constrained reimbursement for Medicare Advantage in 2027, pressuring UNH’s margin outlook and precipitating heavy selling. CMS Medicare Rate Notice Fallout
• Negative Sentiment: Operational concerns: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and the medical care ratio rose, and management signaled shedding lower‑margin Medicare members to protect profitability — raising near‑term growth/guidance uncertainty. Is It Time To Reassess UnitedHealth?
• Negative Sentiment: Broker and market skepticism: Truist and other outlets trimmed outlooks or voiced caution, amplifying short‑term bearish pressure amid regulatory risk and margin uncertainty. Truist Issues Pessimistic Forecast

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Leerink Partners cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $375.46.

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.