UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Cut to $370.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

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

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Leerink Partners dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average 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’s fifty day moving average is $330.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $323.29. UnitedHealth Group has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $606.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at $1,572,193,000. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% in the 2nd quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC now owns 4,425 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,380,000 after acquiring an additional 791 shares in the last quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during 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 in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 20.7% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 20,683 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,462,000 after purchasing an additional 3,545 shares during the period. Finally, Phoenix Financial Ltd. grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% during 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about 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.