Barclays Cuts UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $327.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price decreased by equities research analysts at Barclays from $391.00 to $327.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Barclays‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 14.44% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on UNH. Bank of America lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock traded down $6.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $285.74. 4,105,829 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,191,933. The business has a fifty day moving average of $331.39 and a 200 day moving average of $323.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $606.36. The company has a market capitalization of $258.84 billion, a PE ratio of 21.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.81 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth $29,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several research firms kept bullish ratings (Overweight/Buy/Outperform) despite trimming price targets, which supports a potential recovery if fundamentals stabilize — examples include Wells Fargo (pt lowered to $370, still Overweight). Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators argue the sell-off overshot the fundamentals and label UNH as a buying opportunity based on cash-flow and long-term positioning. See bullish analysis arguing the decline creates value. UnitedHealth: Opportunity Is Here – Temporary FY2026 Pain
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4/early FY2026 results were mixed: a slight EPS beat but revenue/margin guidance and CMS payment signals disappointed, putting 2026 in a “transitional” category — this explains the volatility while the company executes margin-recovery plans. (Company results and guidance referenced in recent coverage.)
• Neutral Sentiment: After the report UNH briefly bounced (some ETFs and day-traders pushed a short-term rebound). Coverage noted a short-term 4% pop after the mixed Q4 print. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat
• Negative Sentiment: The catalyst for the large drop appears to be CMS/Medicare payment updates and a cautious FY2026 outlook that materially reduced investor confidence — several articles directly link the CMS rate “shock” to the multi-billion-dollar market-cap wipe. Stock Market Today, Jan. 27: UnitedHealth Group Plunges Almost 20% After Weak Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy bearish positioning: unusually large put-option buying (puts up ~131% vs average) signals traders are positioning for further downside or hedging aggressive exposure.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple firms have trimmed price targets in the last 48 hours (Jefferies, Oppenheimer, Leerink, RBC and others), which reduces the short-term upside consensus and likely pressured sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Political/insider selling headlines and analyst commentary warning “sell” or “trap” narratives amplified fear in the tape, accelerating the move lower.

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.