UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Up 1.7% on Analyst Upgrade

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) rose 1.7% on Monday after Barclays raised their price target on the stock from $386.00 to $391.00. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. UnitedHealth Group traded as high as $346.94 and last traded at $342.2780. Approximately 7,879,956 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 7% from the average daily volume of 7,368,501 shares. The stock had previously closed at $336.40.

UNH has been the topic of several other reports. Bank of America upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target 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. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $325.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 12th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $378.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $385.75.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on UNH to $391 and kept an “overweight” rating, pointing to upside from current levels and supporting near‑term bullish sentiment. Barclays Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: The Motley Fool included UnitedHealth on a list of “10 Magnificent Stocks” for 2026, reinforcing a narrative that UNH remains a long‑term idea for some growth/value investors. 10 Magnificent Stocks That Can Make You Richer in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Sustainable Growth Advisers (SGA) maintained its stake in UNH in its Q3 letter — a sign large‑cap investors are holding through volatility but not necessarily adding materially. SGA Maintained Stake
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting a reassessment of UNH’s valuation after operational changes and margin pressure is creating analyst focus on upcoming 2026 guidance and Q4 results — this keeps volatility elevated until management updates investors. Reassessing Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights that UNH shares are down ~34.5% over the past year as rising utilization and margin compression weigh on profits; it frames Q4 results and 2026 guidance as critical tests for whether the stock is a buy‑the‑dip opportunity. UnitedHealth Sinks 34.5% in a Year
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple pieces warn investors to avoid buying UNH before Jan. 27 because of “grey area” around utilization, costs and upcoming guidance — this cautionary messaging can suppress buying until management provides clarity. Don’t Buy UnitedHealth Group Stock Before Jan. 27

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Capital World Investors lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,516,107,000 after acquiring an additional 3,439,182 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 675,075 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 11.1% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,499,949 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,042,710,000 after buying an additional 1,747,337 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,503,419,000 after buying an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,837,207,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average price of $330.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $319.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market cap of $310.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The business’s revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.15 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.14%.

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.