Morgan Stanley Cuts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $409.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price objective trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $411.00 to $409.00 in a research note released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $423.00 to $417.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Bank of America upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $386.33.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $356.46 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $322.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $332.07 and its 200-day moving average is $323.59. UnitedHealth Group has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $606.36.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 19.23% and a net margin of 4.04%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.15 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.14%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% during the 2nd quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC now owns 4,425 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,380,000 after buying an additional 791 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% in the third quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $36,471,000 after purchasing an additional 2,316 shares during the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,572,193,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 20.7% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 20,683 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,462,000 after buying an additional 3,545 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 48.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,790 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,806,000 after buying an additional 1,901 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho reiterated a Buy on UNH and kept a $430 price target, highlighting the importance of the upcoming Medicare Advantage 2027 Advance Notice as a potential tailwind for enrollment and margins. Mizuho reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Reddit and X has moved from deeply bearish to neutral over the past week, helping shares recover after retail-driven selling earlier this month. Reddit sentiment shift
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly (from $411 to $409) but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst confidence despite a small technical cut to the target. Morgan Stanley target change
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary and market moves note UNH has outperformed the broader market in short-term trading, reflecting mixed buying interest ahead of the Jan. 27 catalyst. Outperforms broader market
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth executives faced tough questioning from Congress on healthcare affordability — a reminder of political/regulatory risk that could pressure policy outcomes or public perception. Congressional grilling
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced it will rebate 2026 ACA plan profits to customers, which could weigh on near-term margins and highlights ongoing regulatory/competitive pressure in the individual market. ACA profit rebate
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn of rising medical costs and a higher medical cost ratio (MCR) heading into Q4 results — several pieces advise caution until the Jan. 27 release when clearer margin and cost detail will arrive. Cost pressures warning

About UnitedHealth Group

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.