South Dakota Investment Council Increases Stock Position in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH

South Dakota Investment Council boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) by 6.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 173,485 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,446 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises 0.9% of South Dakota Investment Council’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $46,943,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth about $4,376,167,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 141.9% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,109,029 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,356,432,000 after purchasing an additional 2,410,128 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 864.4% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,523,700 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $833,099,000 after purchasing an additional 2,262,006 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 87.5% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 3,916,041 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,294,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,826,948 shares during the period. Finally, Lone Pine Capital LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $528,273,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth reported second-quarter revenue of $112.03 billion and net income of $5.48 billion, while earnings per share of $6.38 exceeded the $4.94 consensus estimate. Management also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to $19.50–$20.00 per share. How Investors Are Reacting To UnitedHealth Group Profit Beat, Outlook Hike and Ongoing Buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Lower medical costs, tighter expense control and continued share repurchases are strengthening the investment case and signaling that UnitedHealth’s profitability recovery is gaining traction. Analysts and market commentators have highlighted UNH as a blue-chip buying opportunity following the earnings beat. UnitedHealth’s Cost-Control Story is Gaining Momentum Buy These 3 Blue-Chip Stocks After Strong Q2 2026 Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s shares have rallied significantly since their March low, and the earnings beat has prompted renewed debate over whether the stock remains undervalued after its recovery. UnitedHealth Earnings Spark Fresh Value Debate
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth committed $4 million, alongside technical support, to help expand UT Health Sciences’ health-hub network in Tennessee from five to 13 locations. The initiative may improve community access and brand reputation but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. UnitedHealth Partners with UT Health Sciences
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors question the durability of the improved medical loss ratio because part of the benefit came from exiting unprofitable markets rather than broad-based operating improvement. Technical commentary also warns that the sharp rally could face consolidation. UnitedHealth Group Stock Opinions on Q2 Earnings Beat
• Negative Sentiment: Humana’s elevated medical cost ratio and decision to reaffirm rather than raise its forecast create a cautious read-through for managed-care companies, keeping pressure on investors to monitor utilization and healthcare-cost trends. Why Humana Stock Is Falling After Earnings Beat Expectations

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UNH. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Leerink Partners raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $455.92.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $421.30 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $410.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $347.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market cap of $382.60 billion, a PE ratio of 27.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.08 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 19.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend 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 payout ratio is currently 59.72%.

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.