UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Given New $340.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price objective cut by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $418.00 to $340.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target suggests a potential upside of 16.22% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Bank of America upped 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $380.67.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 3.5%

UNH traded up $9.85 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $292.55. 20,581,901 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 11,308,014. The stock has a market capitalization of $265.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.24, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. UnitedHealth Group has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $606.36. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $332.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $323.81.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 showed a modest EPS beat and segment strength (Optum Rx helped results), which underpins near‑term earnings resilience. UnitedHealth posts modest earnings beat, soft revenue guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Company emphasizes margin improvement and capital returns (dividend + buybacks), which analysts point to as supportive for a rebound and make the pullback a buying opportunity for some investors. Trump Triggers Buying Opportunity in UnitedHealth Group
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms reiterated buy/outperform stances even after trimming targets, signaling continued analyst support under the new outlook. Benzinga coverage of analyst target changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcripts and analyst writeups provide more detail on cost actions and the 2026 plan; these will guide next moves as investors parse execution risk vs. potential upside. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: CMS proposed Medicare Advantage rates nearly flat for 2027, a direct hit to insurer revenue assumptions and the main catalyst for the large selloff. Trump Administration proposes keeping steady Medicare rates
• Negative Sentiment: Management set 2026 revenue guidance implying roughly a 2% decline (first drop in decades), a structural concern for growth expectations. UnitedHealth expects revenue decline in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 included a roughly $1.6B restructuring charge that reduced reported profits and highlights near‑term execution costs. UNH Takes $1.6B Hit Amid Restructuring
• Negative Sentiment: Large one‑day market cap loss, heavy volume and reports of politicians selling UNH ahead of the decline have added reputational and sentiment pressure. Politician stock sales before UNH crash

About UnitedHealth Group

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.