New Mexico Educational Retirement Board Grows Holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

New Mexico Educational Retirement Board grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 42,420 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares during the period. UnitedHealth Group accounts for about 0.4% of New Mexico Educational Retirement Board’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $14,003,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UNH. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare said it will eliminate prior authorization requirements for nearly two-thirds of pediatric services by year-end. That could reduce administrative friction, improve patient/provider relations, and support customer satisfaction. Reuters article
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price target on UNH to $492 from $444 and kept an Outperform rating, citing an EPS recovery outlook. Higher price targets from analysts can help reinforce investor confidence. Yahoo Finance article
• Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire Hathaway fully exited its UNH stake, which is drawing attention to valuation and regulatory risks. While not necessarily a fundamental change, the sale may weigh on sentiment around the stock. Yahoo Finance article
• Negative Sentiment: Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against a UnitedHealth insurance unit, alleging more than $100 million in Medicaid fraud tied to inflated illness severity claims. The lawsuit adds legal and reputational risk for UNH. Investing.com article

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $379.70 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $336.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $321.55. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $404.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $344.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.64.

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 the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $7.20 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on UNH shares. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $370.00 to $397.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Erste Group Bank raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $373.00 to $429.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $397.63.

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.