UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Stock: Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. Trims Stake

16 Oct 2026, 10:27 by Tristan Rich · The Markets Daily

Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 22.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,113 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,438 shares during the quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc.’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $1,877,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. General Partner Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter worth $512,000. PBCay One RSC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the first quarter valued at $14,343,000. Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $6,180,000. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 13.4% in the second quarter. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. now owns 38,510 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $16,006,000 after acquiring an additional 4,557 shares during the period. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1,287.2% in the first quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. now owns 60,022 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $16,241,000 after acquiring an additional 55,695 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: UnitedHealth reported adjusted EPS of $4.69 versus the $4.14 consensus estimate and revenue of $112.7 billion versus $111.31 billion expected. Revenue was roughly flat year over year, but profitability improved significantly. UnitedHealth Stock Moves Higher: What’s Going On?
Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings outlook: Management raised its 2026 adjusted earnings forecast to at least $20.50 per share, above its previous $19.50–$20.00 range. The guidance increase was the primary catalyst for the stock’s upward move. UnitedHealth Group gains after Q3 beat and higher 2026 outlook
Positive Sentiment: Margin recovery signals: The medical care ratio improved to 88.4%, while Optum generated $3.7 billion in earnings. Analysts also cited pricing discipline, benefit changes, care-delivery improvements and AI initiatives as potential supports for stronger 2027 growth. UNH Q3 Deep Dive: Margin Recovery and AI Initiatives Shape 2027 Outlook
Positive Sentiment: Constructive analyst views: Goldman Sachs reportedly raised its price target to $506, while Piper Sandler maintained an overweight rating and lifted its target to $504. Mizuho also continues to view UNH as a top healthcare pick. Goldman Sachs raises UNH target price to $506
Neutral Sentiment: Defensive appeal: UnitedHealth is being highlighted as a low-beta healthcare stock that could benefit from investor demand for defensive companies if inflation and energy costs remain elevated. 3 Low-Beta Defensive Stocks to Buy as Inflation Continues to Surge
Negative Sentiment: Growth risks remain: Analysts flagged shrinking membership, pressure from commercial medical costs and Medicaid, and uncertainty surrounding Medicare participation. TD Cowen reaffirmed a hold rating with a $402 target, while other firms reduced targets despite maintaining generally positive ratings. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on UNH shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $401.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $402.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Thursday. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $461.48.

Check Out Our Latest Report on UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH opened at $407.45 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $365.72 billion, a PE ratio of 23.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The business’s 50-day moving average is $387.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $384.52. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $255.96 and a 1 year high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $0.55. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. The business had revenue of $112.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.59 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 53.00%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

(Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care and well-being company serving individuals, employers, health care providers and government programs. Its operations are organized primarily through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and services, including employer-sponsored coverage, individual and family plans, Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and other government-supported programs. Its services include health insurance administration, pharmacy benefits and care management.

Optum provides health care services, technology and data solutions, pharmacy services, and analytics to health plans, employers, government agencies, health care providers and consumers.