UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Stock Has Average Target Price of $463.93 According to Analysts

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twenty have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $463.93.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stephens set a $500.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Leerink Partners upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $462.00 to $472.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $401.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Erste Group Bank lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE UNH opened at $396.97 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $355.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.67, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62. The company has a 50 day moving average of $390.68 and a 200-day moving average of $364.28.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $112.72 billion for 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%. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.59 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 20.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 7th will be issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 7th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 53.00%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This trade represents a 7.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Nvwm LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 89.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 70 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Wellington Altus USA Inc. increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 97.1% in the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 67 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health care company that provides health benefits and health services through two main businesses: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. UnitedHealthcare offers health insurance and related benefit plans to individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Optum provides services across the health care system, including care delivery, pharmacy services, pharmacy benefit management, health technology and data analytics. Its businesses serve consumers, health care providers, employers, health plans and government organizations.

Founded in 1977 as United HealthCare Corporation, the company is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.