Wells Fargo & Company Cuts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $370.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price objective cut by Wells Fargo & Company from $400.00 to $370.00 in a research note published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $287.03 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $330.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $323.73. UnitedHealth Group has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $606.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.41.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.02%.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,572,193,000. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% in the second quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC now owns 4,425 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,380,000 after buying an additional 791 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $36,471,000 after acquiring an additional 2,316 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 20.7% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 20,683 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,462,000 after acquiring an additional 3,545 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Phoenix Financial Ltd. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% in the third quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $14,282,000 after purchasing an additional 22,137 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.