UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Lowered to $327.00 at Barclays

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target lowered by Barclays from $391.00 to $327.00 in a research note published on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Bank of America increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $287.03 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $606.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $330.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $323.29.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter 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 expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is 67.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 28,231 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,033,000 after buying an additional 2,324 shares in the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $340,000. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 42.5% in the 2nd quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 5,312 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,657,000 after purchasing an additional 1,583 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 15.8% during the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 154,874 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $48,316,000 after purchasing an additional 21,177 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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.)

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.