UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have issued a hold recommendation, seventeen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $385.75.

UNH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $286.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $423.00 to $417.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 685.7% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. 1248 Management LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

NYSE UNH opened at $343.83 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $606.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $329.51 and its 200-day moving average is $321.20. The company has a market capitalization of $311.46 billion, a PE ratio of 17.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The business had revenue of $113.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 46.14%.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore analysts upgraded UnitedHealth to a “strong-buy,” signaling confidence in 2026 growth and supporting near-term upside for the stock. Evercore Analysts Love UnitedHealth Stock for 2026. Should You Buy UNH Here?
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price target to $444 (from $440) and kept an Outperform rating, which supports higher valuation expectations for UNH. Bernstein Lifts PT on UnitedHealth Group (UNH) to $444 From $440
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays bumped its target to $391 and kept an Overweight rating, citing managed-care margin recovery that could lift UNH in 2026. UnitedHealth (UNH) Poised to Benefit as Investor Focus Shifts Away From AI, Says Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI’s upgrade earlier in the week drove a short-term bounce (shares were reported up ~2% on the call), reinforcing analyst conviction that could attract flow into UNH. Zacks / Evercore ISI upgrade reporting
• Neutral Sentiment: The healthcare sector’s rebound and ETF inflows (e.g., Vanguard Health Care ETF) are creating a supportive backdrop for UNH as investors rotate into under-owned healthcare names. This ETF Is Proof That the Healthcare Rebound Is Real
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note rising analyst confidence is changing UNH’s investment story—more upgrades and target lifts can reduce short-term volatility but also price in expectations. How Rising Analyst Confidence At UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Negative Sentiment: An explanatory piece outlines factors that have recently hit UnitedHealth’s performance (operational or market pressures referenced), which helps explain why shares are softer despite bullish analyst action. Here’s What Hit UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) Performance

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.