UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) Hold Rating Reiterated at TD Cowen

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH)‘s stock had its “hold” rating restated by equities researchers at TD Cowen in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $402.00 target price on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. TD Cowen’s price target points to a potential downside of 1.73% from the stock’s current price.

UNH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen raised UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Barclays dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $401.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $461.48.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH traded up $13.47 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $409.09. The company had a trading volume of 2,840,178 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,354,042. The company has a market cap of $367.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The business has a 50-day moving average of $387.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $383.47. UnitedHealth Group has a 1 year low of $255.96 and a 1 year high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $112.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 17.95% and a net margin of 3.53%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 20.00 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. The trade was a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 40.6% during the 3rd quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors now owns 1,645 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $604,000 after purchasing an additional 475 shares during the last quarter. Nvwm LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 89.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 70 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,861 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $683,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,375,000. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 480,050 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $176,217,000 after purchasing an additional 2,086 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations. UnitedHealth reported $112.7 billion in revenue and adjusted EPS of $4.69, exceeding consensus estimates of $111.31 billion and $4.14, respectively. Operating earnings rose 52% to $6.6 billion, supported by lower medical costs and improved execution. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path
• Positive Sentiment: Higher guidance supports the turnaround case. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50, above the prior $19.50–$20.00 range and analyst expectations near $19.86. It also described 2026 as a potential bottom for Medicaid margins and indicated stronger growth in 2027. UNH Tops Q3 Earnings on Lower Medical Costs, Raises 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Margin recovery is attracting bullish analyst views. Goldman Sachs said Medicare Advantage profitability is recovering faster than expected and raised its UNH price target to $506. Piper Sandler also lifted its target to $504 while maintaining an overweight rating. Goldman Sachs raises UNH target price to $506
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors remain divided on valuation and recovery timing. Barclays maintained an overweight rating despite trimming its target to $440, while Baird lowered its target to $427 and shifted to neutral. The range of views reflects uncertainty about how quickly margins and enrollment can normalize.
• Negative Sentiment: Membership losses and medical-cost pressures remain key risks. Revenue was slightly below the prior year, and shrinking membership—particularly in Medicare-related businesses—has raised concerns about future growth. Commercial medical costs and Medicaid profitability also continue to pressure the recovery narrative. UNH Q3 Earnings Call Highlights 2027 Growth and Margin Recovery

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care and well-being company serving individuals, employers, health care providers and government programs. Its operations are organized primarily through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and services, including employer-sponsored coverage, individual and family plans, Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and other government-supported programs. Its services include health insurance administration, pharmacy benefits and care management.

Optum provides health care services, technology and data solutions, pharmacy services, and analytics to health plans, employers, government agencies, health care providers and consumers.