UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Trading Up 2% – Still a Buy?

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) were up 2% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $286.31 and last traded at $284.3720. Approximately 12,316,075 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 10% from the average daily volume of 11,169,387 shares. The stock had previously closed at $278.91.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several near‑term and medium‑term EPS forecasts (including Q1 2026 and FY2027 upgrades) — supportive for expected earnings recovery and gives investors some upside visibility. MarketBeat Zacks Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho kept an Outperform rating after reducing its price target, signaling confidence in the recovery thesis even as timing slips; that limits downside from purely negative analyst chatter. Mizuho Maintains Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish coverage highlights Optum expansion and longer‑term platform strength — this is why some investors treat recent weakness as a buying opportunity for retirement/long‑term portfolios. Optum Expansion Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ coverage is mixed: while some quarterly/yearly estimates were raised, other quarter estimates (several Q3/Q4 periods) were trimmed — this creates uncertainty about the timing of margin recovery. Zacks Mixed Revisions
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis pieces reiterate downside risks: pressure from medical cost inflation, constraints on government funding and a flat Medicare Advantage outlook that could limit premium increases and compress profit margins. Seeking Alpha: 3 Reasons Not To Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights the recent sharp pullback and asks whether the weakness signals a temporary reset or deeper structural issues — adding to investor caution and volatility. Forbes: More Downside?
• Negative Sentiment: Specific reporting points to a flat Medicare Advantage outlook and revenue pressures that could change the investment case if sustained. Yahoo Finance: Flat MA Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern about returns on capital and longer‑term profitability metrics adds to the negative narrative and could prolong multiple compression if not addressed. Yahoo Finance: Returns On Capital Concern

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on UNH. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Leerink Partners cut their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 2.0%

The company has a market cap of $257.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.56, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a fifty day moving average of $322.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $323.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The business’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,457,723,000 after buying an additional 824,120 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 21,312,182 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,624,411,000 after acquiring an additional 675,075 shares during the period. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $6,158,734,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155,162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $4,376,167,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.