UnitedHealth Group Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:UNH)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 376,697 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 131% compared to the typical volume of 163,128 put options.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Barclays increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Zacks Research raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $380.67.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market and analyst support — Several firms kept buy/overweight ratings or reiterated long-term confidence after the Q4 release, arguing the sell-off may be overdone and highlighting UnitedHealth’s underlying margin initiatives and long-term fundamentals. UnitedHealth Q4 Earnings Review: The Selloff Looks Overdone After Results
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term rebound in ETFs — Healthcare ETFs and related funds moved as UNH bounced (~4% at one point) on a mixed Q4 print plus commentary that 2026 cost trends could improve, which likely supported intraday buying from funds and momentum traders. Healthcare ETFs in Focus as UnitedHealth Rises 4% Post Mixed Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst target tweaks — Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly to $409 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling stabilized expectations rather than a wholesale shift in conviction. This is a modest signal versus outright downgrades. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley as Outlook Stabilizes
• Negative Sentiment: Large put-option activity — Unusually high put buying (376,697 contracts, +131% vs. typical volume) indicates elevated downside hedging or speculative bearish positioning, increasing near-term downside pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts — Multiple firms reduced targets (examples: Jefferies to $340, Leerink to $345, Oppenheimer to $385, RBC to $361, UBS trimmed targets), which amplifies pessimism around near-term earnings/guidance and contributes to downward momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance & Medicare payment shock — The main catalyst for the rout was a cautious FY2026 outlook and disappointing Medicare Advantage payment updates; investors marked the company down sharply on lower-than-expected forward cash/earnings visibility. UnitedHealth (UNH) Loses 19.6% on Weak Outlook, Medicare Payment Update
• Negative Sentiment: Political stock sales & market-cap hit — Reports of politicians selling UNH before the crash and headlines about a $50–99 billion market-cap loss have heightened scrutiny and negative sentiment, which can prolong volatility. These 3 U.S. politicians suspiciously dumped UnitedHealth stock weeks before crash
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary and “trap” warnings — Multiple op-eds and analyst notes argue the recovery may take time or that buying the dip could be a trap; that negative narrative is pressuring demand for the stock in the near term. UnitedHealth: Buying The Dip Could Be A Trap

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.6%

UNH traded down $1.82 on Thursday, hitting $292.20. The company had a trading volume of 13,431,647 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,603,481. 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 $264.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.42. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $331.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $323.60.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued 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. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The company had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue 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, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.02%.

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.