William Blair Investment Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 12.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 768,535 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 84,394 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group makes up about 0.7% of William Blair Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned 0.08% of UnitedHealth Group worth $265,375,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after buying an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $340,000. IFG Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 27.1% during the 2nd quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 5,446 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,699,000 after acquiring an additional 1,160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leeward Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1,115.2% during the second quarter. Leeward Financial Partners LLC now owns 11,496 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $3,586,000 after purchasing an additional 10,550 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Leerink Partners decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently 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: Board affirms quarterly cash dividend of $2.21/share (record March 9, payable March 17), which supports income investors and signals steady capital return policy. Dividend Steady as Margins Tighten Might Change The Case For Investing In UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: reports show UNH trading materially higher after the dividend announcement, indicating short-term buying interest tied to the payout confirmation. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading 3.7% Higher Following Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Relative strength vs. peers: analysts argue UNH’s scale and diversified model give it better upside versus Humana as managed-care margins are tested, supporting a longer-term constructive view. UnitedHealth vs. Humana: Which Healthcare Stock Has More Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector flows: some strategists recommend rotating into defensive names and healthcare, which could provide tailwinds for UNH even as the macro outlook weakens. Time for Investors to Get Defensive. Sell Staples and Buy Healthcare.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and margin pressure: coverage highlights weaker 2026 revenue guidance and rising medical costs (especially Medicare-related), which compress margins and are a key reason for investor caution. Dividend Steady as Margins Tighten Might Change The Case For Investing In UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling: Aristotle Growth Equity Fund exited its UNH position citing lowered guidance — a signal some funds are trimming exposure ahead of margin headwinds. Aristotle Growth Equity Fund Exited UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Due to Lowered Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price weakness and re-rating: commentary notes a sizable multi-month share-price decline and that UNH is down since the last earnings report, underscoring investor concerns about near-term earnings and margin recovery. Is It Time To Reassess UnitedHealth Group (UNH) After A 37% Share Price Slide?

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $292.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a fifty day moving average of $311.98 and a 200 day moving average of $325.90. The company has a market capitalization of $265.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.41. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $234.60 and a fifty-two week 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 for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm had revenue of $113.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.81 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.