UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Receives $455.92 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $456.56.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. DA Davidson set a $512.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Barclays boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $429.00 to $441.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $460.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $477.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, July 16th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 1,169 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.1%

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $400.83 on Monday. UnitedHealth Group has a fifty-two week low of $255.96 and a fifty-two week high of $461.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $359.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.79, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.62. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $413.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $359.04.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The company had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.08 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 19.82 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be paid a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is presently 59.72%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s recovery story remains a major catalyst. The stock has generated a roughly 37% yearly return and recovered about 80% from its 12-month low, suggesting improving investor confidence after a difficult period. The company still appears attractive as a long-term investment. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated’s Recovery Story
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results provide fundamental support: UnitedHealth reported $6.38 in EPS versus a $4.94 consensus estimate and revenue of $112.03 billion versus expectations of $110.81 billion. Fiscal 2026 EPS guidance remains $19.50-$20.00, helping reinforce confidence in earnings recovery. UnitedHealth earnings beat supports guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst comparisons favor UNH over Elevance Health, citing stronger earnings prospects, improving Medicare profitability, greater upside and a more favorable risk-reward profile. UnitedHealth versus Elevance
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth was highlighted in a constructive managed-care industry outlook, which points to steady premium revenue, aging-population trends and business diversification as potential long-term supports. Managed-care industry outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: David Tepper’s Appaloosa Management sold its entire UnitedHealth position during the second quarter. The move may concern investors, but the accompanying analysis argues that UNH’s improving fundamentals could still make the sale a costly decision over the long term. David Tepper sold UnitedHealth shares
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 1,169 shares for approximately $456,000, reducing his direct holdings by 7.09%. He retains a substantial position, so the transaction is a modest bearish signal rather than evidence of a fundamental change. UnitedHealth CEO SEC transaction filing

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.