UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Raised to $531.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target boosted by Morgan Stanley from $529.00 to $531.00 in a research report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $495.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $502.00 to $504.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $512.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $500.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Friday, October 16th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $463.93.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE:UNH opened at $410.05 on Tuesday. UnitedHealth Group has a 12-month low of $255.96 and a 12-month high of $461.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $389.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $362.07. The firm has a market cap of $368.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.95, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.60.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $112.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. The firm’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 20.61 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th were given a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.00%.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In related news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $245,516,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $2,444,928,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $2,019,844,000. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $31,946,594,000 after purchasing an additional 3,395,530 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $971,757,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for UnitedHealth Group to $531 from $529, citing signs that Medicare margins are returning to a more favorable range. Morgan Stanley raises UnitedHealth Group price target
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings and revenue above consensus estimates, while management raised its outlook. Analysts also lifted their longer-term Zacks Research estimates, including FY2027 EPS to $23.29 from $22.28 and FY2028 EPS to $26.60 from $25.74. UnitedHealth raises guidance after quarterly beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research maintained a “Hold” rating and issued mixed estimate revisions: some 2027 and 2028 quarterly forecasts increased, while estimates for Q1 2027, Q1 2028, and Q2 2028 were reduced. Its FY2026 EPS estimate of $20.54 is broadly in line with the $20.62 consensus.
• Negative Sentiment: Medical costs remain elevated, creating uncertainty for commercial plans and Medicaid. Investors are also watching whether increased artificial-intelligence spending can generate sufficient savings. The margin recovery in Medicare must broaden across the business to support further upside. UnitedHealth margins recover while medical costs remain high

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company that provides health insurance coverage, health care services, pharmacy services and health technology. Its businesses serve individuals, employers, government programs, health care providers and other organizations, primarily in the United States.

The company operates through two principal businesses. UnitedHealthcare offers health benefit plans and related services for employers, individuals, families and government-sponsored programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.