Leerink Partners Cuts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $345.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price reduced by Leerink Partners from $410.00 to $345.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Leerink Partners currently has an outperform rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

UNH has been the subject of several other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, 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 firm has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $330.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $323.29. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $606.36. 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 (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The company 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current 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 paid 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%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. North Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the third quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $662,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Axis Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Axis Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,631 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $563,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Abound Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Founders Capital Management LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Founders Capital Management LLC now owns 982 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $324,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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.