UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Down 3% – Here’s Why

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) shares fell 3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $271.80 and last traded at $273.9160. 9,640,722 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 8% from the average session volume of 10,437,448 shares. The stock had previously closed at $282.34.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board-approved quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share (3.1% yield), ex-dividend March 9 — supports income investors and can stabilize the share base. UnitedHealth Group Board Authorizes Payment of Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Sector rotation into defensive healthcare is benefiting names like UNH as investors trim cyclical tech and staples exposure — a tailwind for shares. Time for Investors to Get Defensive. Sell Staples and Buy Healthcare.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts argue UNH’s scale and diversified model give it more upside vs. peers (e.g., Humana) as managed-care margins are tested — a relative-strength story that can attract money into UNH. UnitedHealth vs. Humana: Which Healthcare Stock Has More Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note UNH is slightly lower since the last earnings report and are parsing forward EPS/assumptions — watch revisions rather than headlines for near-term impact. UnitedHealth (UNH) Down 3.3% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary that UNH has underperformed the Dow over the past year is drawing cautious analyst views — signals attention but no immediate directional catalyst. Is UnitedHealth Stock Underperforming the Dow?
• Negative Sentiment: Aristotle Growth Equity Fund disclosed it exited UNH citing lowered guidance — a vote of concern from an institutional holder and potential selling pressure. Aristotle Growth Equity Fund Exited UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Due to Lowered Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Major selloff context: UNH plunged ~23% in under a month after weak FY guidance plus a proposed near-flat 2027 reimbursement update — a regulatory shock that materially increases earnings uncertainty. Is The Bottom In For UNH Stock After Its Dramatic 23% Slide?
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare’s core margins have been squeezed by surging medical costs; management is flagging repricing and utilization levers for 2026 but execution risk remains. UnitedHealthcare Under Pressure: Can UNH’s Core Business Rebound?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on UNH. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Mizuho reduced their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 0.9%

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 has a market cap of $259.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $312.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $325.17.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.81 EPS. The company’s 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 research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be issued a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UNH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth $340,000. Advisory Alpha LLC raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 20.4% during the second quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 5,486 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,712,000 after acquiring an additional 931 shares during the period. Finally, Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% in the second quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,284 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,272,000 after acquiring an additional 418 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

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.