UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Down 3% – Time to Sell?

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s share price was down 3% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $271.80 and last traded at $273.9160. Approximately 9,640,722 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 10,437,448 shares. The stock had previously closed at $282.34.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Industry tailwinds for healthcare finance and digital/AI-driven solutions could support Optum and fee-for-service revenues over the medium term, offering a strategic growth avenue for UNH. Healthcare Finance Solutions Industry Report 2026-2035
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses of UNH’s valuation note the company’s massive scale (reported ~US$447.6B revenue, large net income) but show share-price weakness across multiple time frames — useful context for longer-term value investors but not a catalyst by itself. A Look At UnitedHealth Group’s Valuation After Prolonged Share Price Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare profitability is under pressure: 2025 revenue rose but adjusted operating earnings plunged ~41% to $9.6B, driven by reduced Medicare funding and higher medical costs — a direct hit to the company’s margin profile and investor confidence. UnitedHealthcare Under Pressure: Can UNH’s Core Business Rebound?
• Negative Sentiment: Following weak guidance, analysts have trimmed expectations for UNH, and commentary highlights a near-14% YTD slide earlier in 2026 — analyst downgrades and lower earnings forecasts are amplifying selling pressure. Analysts Lower Expectations for UnitedHealth (UNH) Following Weak Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: recent coverage notes UNH has dipped more than the broader market, reflecting the combination of disappointing margin trends and guidance-led sentiment rather than a single isolated event. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the subject of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Leerink Partners lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 3.0%

The firm has a market capitalization of $248.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $315.66 and a 200-day moving average of $325.57.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,376,167,000. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,503,419,000 after buying an additional 7,293,009 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,572,193,000. Dodge & Cox grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% in the second quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,750,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,729,912,000 after acquiring an additional 4,730,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,516,107,000 after purchasing an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.