Oppenheimer Cuts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $385.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price cut by Oppenheimer from $415.00 to $385.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on UNH. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Evercore ISI raised UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. KeyCorp set a $405.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $287.03 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $330.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $323.29.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 67.02%.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and near-term optimism: UNH reported an EPS beat that briefly lifted sentiment and helped the stock rally after the print. That positive earnings surprise shows operations can still deliver despite headwinds. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Potential policy upside: Commentary that UNH is negotiating with the administration for more favorable Medicare rates is a tailwind if realized, supporting longer-term policy risk mitigation. 5 Stocks Primed for a Turnaround in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst adjustments but continued support: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target slightly while keeping an Overweight rating, signaling analyst conviction remains even as near-term assumptions are revised. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on durability: Several analyst pieces argue the current weakness may be temporary (AI-driven efficiencies, margin recovery) — this creates mixed near-term flows as value buyers size positions vs. risk-averse sellers. UnitedHealth: Opportunity Is Here – Temporary FY2026 Pain
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts: Barclays and Wells Fargo lowered targets (while keeping Overweight ratings), signaling reduced near-term expectations and likely weighing on buying momentum. Analyst Price Target Changes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reimbursement pressure: Proposed smaller Medicare reimbursements and government scrutiny of insurer margins remain the largest catalyst for the sell-off and uncertainty around 2026-27 margins. UnitedHealth Plunges After Weak Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated bearish positioning: Unusual options activity showed a large jump in put buying, indicating short-term hedging or speculative bearish bets that can amplify downward moves. (Options volume data reported 376,697 puts traded vs. average ~163k.)

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.