UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have issued a hold recommendation, seventeen have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $385.75.

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $406.00 price target for the company. Leerink Partners set a $410.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings raised UnitedHealth Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore analysts upgraded UnitedHealth to a “strong-buy,” signaling confidence in 2026 growth and supporting near-term upside for the stock. Evercore Analysts Love UnitedHealth Stock for 2026. Should You Buy UNH Here?
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price target to $444 (from $440) and kept an Outperform rating, which supports higher valuation expectations for UNH. Bernstein Lifts PT on UnitedHealth Group (UNH) to $444 From $440
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays bumped its target to $391 and kept an Overweight rating, citing managed-care margin recovery that could lift UNH in 2026. UnitedHealth (UNH) Poised to Benefit as Investor Focus Shifts Away From AI, Says Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI’s upgrade earlier in the week drove a short-term bounce (shares were reported up ~2% on the call), reinforcing analyst conviction that could attract flow into UNH. Zacks / Evercore ISI upgrade reporting
• Neutral Sentiment: The healthcare sector’s rebound and ETF inflows (e.g., Vanguard Health Care ETF) are creating a supportive backdrop for UNH as investors rotate into under-owned healthcare names. This ETF Is Proof That the Healthcare Rebound Is Real
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note rising analyst confidence is changing UNH’s investment story—more upgrades and target lifts can reduce short-term volatility but also price in expectations. How Rising Analyst Confidence At UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Negative Sentiment: An explanatory piece outlines factors that have recently hit UnitedHealth’s performance (operational or market pressures referenced), which helps explain why shares are softer despite bullish analyst action. Here’s What Hit UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) Performance

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH opened at $343.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $329.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $321.20. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $606.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $311.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.19 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 19.23% and a net margin of 4.04%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $7.15 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were paid 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 yield of 2.6%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.14%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 685.7% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% during the third quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 83 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

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.