UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Rating Increased to Neutral at Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report released on Thursday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $453.00 target price on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock, up from their previous target price of $287.00.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on UNH. Raymond James Financial raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $438.92.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $423.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $384.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.97, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $461.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $403.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $341.69.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.87 by $1.51. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $110.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.08 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. Research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.39 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,376,167,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 141.9% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,109,029 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,356,432,000 after purchasing an additional 2,410,128 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 864.4% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,523,700 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $833,099,000 after buying an additional 2,262,006 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,713,684 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,169,606,000 after buying an additional 2,097,859 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 87.5% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 3,916,041 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,294,367,000 after acquiring an additional 1,826,948 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth beat Q2 expectations on both earnings and revenue, with EPS of $6.38 versus estimates around $4.87-$4.94 and revenue of $112.03 billion topping forecasts. UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong EPS Growth Amidst Cost …
• Positive Sentiment: The company lifted its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $19.50-$20.00, above prior expectations, signaling improved confidence in profitability and operating execution. UnitedHealth raises 2026 forecast as it controls medical costs
• Positive Sentiment: Lower medical costs and stronger performance in Optum helped margins, suggesting UnitedHealth is better controlling expenses than investors feared. UnitedHealth blows past estimates, hikes earnings outlook as it reins in costs
• Positive Sentiment: Several analyst notes turned more constructive after the report, including upgrades and higher price targets, which can add to momentum around the stock. Benzinga analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market weakness did not stop the move, indicating UNH’s gains were driven mainly by company-specific results rather than the overall tape. Update: Wall Street Snaps Two-Day Advance as Chip-Related Stocks Slump

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.