UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-nine ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $375.4583.

Several brokerages have weighed in on UNH. Evercore ISI raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $406.00 target price for the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating and a $405 price target, arguing UNH remains high‑quality and can weather Medicare volatility — a supportive institutional view for the stock. Bernstein Reiterates Outperform on UnitedHealth
• Positive Sentiment: Buy‑the‑dip arguments surfaced: analysts and commentators point to strong cash flows, Optum’s AI efficiency plans, insider buying and a long‑term growth target from management as reasons the recent selloff may be overdone. UnitedHealth: Buy The Dip
• Positive Sentiment: Bull case pieces reiterate durable competitive advantages (Optum, scale in Medicare Advantage) that could support a recovery if policy headwinds moderate. UnitedHealth Bull Case Theory
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street still shows many buy/overweight ratings and a median price target well above current levels (around $390), creating a technical floor if sentiment stabilizes. Quiver Quantitative Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate personnel note — Optum/UNH executive Terry Clark was appointed CEO at the PGA of America; largely background news but worth noting senior exec visibility. Terry Clark Appointed CEO at PGA of America
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate trigger — CMS’s advance Medicare rate notice (near‑flat 0.09% growth) spooked investors because it implies constrained reimbursement for Medicare Advantage in 2027, pressuring UNH’s margin outlook and precipitating heavy selling. CMS Medicare Rate Notice Fallout
• Negative Sentiment: Operational concerns: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and the medical care ratio rose, and management signaled shedding lower‑margin Medicare members to protect profitability — raising near‑term growth/guidance uncertainty. Is It Time To Reassess UnitedHealth?
• Negative Sentiment: Broker and market skepticism: Truist and other outlets trimmed outlooks or voiced caution, amplifying short‑term bearish pressure amid regulatory risk and margin uncertainty. Truist Issues Pessimistic Forecast

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 3.0%

NYSE:UNH opened at $275.70 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $328.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $323.39. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year 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 $249.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.41.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion during 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

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.