Sanford C. Bernstein Boosts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $411.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price raised by stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $405.00 to $411.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 34.19% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Leerink Partners dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Evercore upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $363.42.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $306.29 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $282.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $318.95. UnitedHealth Group has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $606.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $278.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.40.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted 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. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The company had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after acquiring an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $14,931,592,000 after buying an additional 1,119,834 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,457,723,000 after buying an additional 824,120 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,215,660,000 after buying an additional 680,077 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,158,734,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155,162 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CMS raised 2027 Medicare Advantage payments by ~2.48%, a surprise above street expectations — this directly improves UnitedHealth’s revenue and margin outlook for Medicare Advantage and triggered a broad relief rally across managed-care names. UnitedHealth Rockets 11%, Humana Climbs 9% as Medicare Advantage Rate Decision Crushes Regulatory Fears
• Positive Sentiment: Several sell-side analysts raised price targets and upgraded UNH after the CMS decision (example: BofA and Sanford C. Bernstein moves), contributing to the near-term re-rating and higher trading volume. UnitedHealth Price Target Raised to $337 by BofA After Medicare Advantage Rate Finalization
• Positive Sentiment: Street research and note-writers are quantifying meaningful upside from the CMS move (several pieces estimate billions in incremental revenue/operating profit and reduced downside risk), which supports expectations for margin recovery driven by UnitedHealth’s scale and Optum capabilities. UnitedHealth Could Reprice Soon: The Catalyst Is Here
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street remains broadly constructive on UNH: ~75% of covering analysts rate the stock bullishly with a consensus target around $355, and UNH is highlighted among hedge-fund favorites — that supports medium-term investor interest but already implies some upside is priced in. Analysts Remain Confident in UnitedHealth (UNH)’s Growth Initiatives Outside of Its Main Insurance Operations
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamental context: UnitedHealth beat Q4/most-recent EPS estimates and provided FY-level guidance, which underpinned confidence before the CMS news — but consensus EPS forecasts remain materially higher than some boutique analyst raises. UnitedHealth Stock Jumps on Better-Than-Expected Medicare Advantage Rates. Here’s Why the Rally Might Be Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Caution: commentators warn the Medicare tailwind may be partially priced in after the large one-day rally and the stock faces near-term catalysts (upcoming quarterly results) that could reintroduce volatility if guidance or cost trends disappoint. UnitedHealth Stock Jumps on Better-Than-Expected Medicare Advantage Rates. Here’s Why the Rally Might Be Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Macroeconomic and cost risks remain (medical-cost inflation, optical/claims mix, and broader interest-rate/market moves). Those factors plus profit-taking after the run-up explain why UNH has pulled back from its intraday highs. UnitedHealth (UNH) Soars 9.4%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?

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.