Royal Bank Of Canada Cuts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $361.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price objective trimmed by Royal Bank Of Canada from $408.00 to $361.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

UNH has been the subject of several other reports. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Zacks Research raised UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 1.8%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $287.03 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $260.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $606.36. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $330.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $323.29.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 67.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,516,107,000 after buying an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 21,312,182 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,624,411,000 after purchasing an additional 675,075 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,042,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,747,337 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after purchasing an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.)

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.