UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Cut to $409.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $411.00 to $409.00 in a report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on UNH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $378.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $386.33.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $356.46 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $606.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $322.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $332.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $323.33.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $113.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $7.15 EPS. Equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.14%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,033,000 after buying an additional 2,324 shares in the last quarter. Regatta Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 38.3% in the 2nd quarter. Regatta Capital Group LLC now owns 978 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $305,000 after buying an additional 271 shares during the period. McAdam LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 12.7% during the second quarter. McAdam LLC now owns 1,135 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $354,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Finally, CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth about $340,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho reiterated a Buy on UNH and kept a $430 price target, highlighting the importance of the upcoming Medicare Advantage 2027 Advance Notice as a potential tailwind for enrollment and margins. Mizuho reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Reddit and X has moved from deeply bearish to neutral over the past week, helping shares recover after retail-driven selling earlier this month. Reddit sentiment shift
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly (from $411 to $409) but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst confidence despite a small technical cut to the target. Morgan Stanley target change
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary and market moves note UNH has outperformed the broader market in short-term trading, reflecting mixed buying interest ahead of the Jan. 27 catalyst. Outperforms broader market
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth executives faced tough questioning from Congress on healthcare affordability — a reminder of political/regulatory risk that could pressure policy outcomes or public perception. Congressional grilling
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealth announced it will rebate 2026 ACA plan profits to customers, which could weigh on near-term margins and highlights ongoing regulatory/competitive pressure in the individual market. ACA profit rebate
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn of rising medical costs and a higher medical cost ratio (MCR) heading into Q4 results — several pieces advise caution until the Jan. 27 release when clearer margin and cost detail will arrive. Cost pressures warning

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

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.