Manhattan West Asset Management LLC Makes New Investment in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

Manhattan West Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 11,236 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $4,670,000. UnitedHealth Group makes up approximately 0.8% of Manhattan West Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. LFG Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% in the second quarter. LFG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 853 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Synergy Financial Group LTD increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.1% in the second quarter. Synergy Financial Group LTD now owns 887 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC now owns 419 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $174,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 2,589 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,076,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Matrix Trust Co raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 24.8% during the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 146 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH stock opened at $390.94 on Monday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $413.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $356.45. The firm has a market cap of $350.90 billion, a PE ratio of 25.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 16.53% and a net margin of 3.14%.The company had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.81 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be issued a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 59.72%.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total transaction of $205,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 16,497 shares in the company, valued at $6,763,770. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on UNH. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $466.00 to $516.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $455.92.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth is reportedly prioritizing Medicare Advantage profitability over rapid membership growth by tightening benefits, improving pricing and controlling costs. The strategy could support stronger margins and more sustainable earnings, even if enrollment growth moderates. Is UnitedHealth Finding a Better Path to Medicare Advantage Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research added UNH to its Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” lists for overall stocks, value stocks and income stocks. The repeated favorable rankings may reinforce investor confidence in the shares. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 21st
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised several forward EPS estimates, including Q1 2028 to $7.36 from $6.78 and Q2 2028 to $7.19 from $5.84. A separate report also noted an increase in the Q1 EPS estimate, while Zacks maintained a Strong Buy rating. Q1 EPS Estimate for UnitedHealth Group Increased by Analyst
• Neutral Sentiment: Forecast revisions were mixed: Q3 2027 EPS was reduced to $4.74 from $4.81 and Q4 2027 to $4.07 from $4.12, partially offsetting the increases for 2028.
• Negative Sentiment: Aon expects U.S. employer health-care costs to rise 9.5% in 2027. Persistent medical-cost inflation could pressure insurers’ margins and increase pricing, benefit and utilization-management challenges for UnitedHealth. AON Sees No Relief From Health-Cost Inflation

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.