Jefferies Financial Group Issues Pessimistic Forecast for UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target reduced by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $418.00 to $340.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 16.36% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday. 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 note on Wednesday, October 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $380.67.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE UNH opened at $292.20 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $264.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $606.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $331.39 and a 200-day moving average of $323.38.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly 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. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The business had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $22,384,000 after acquiring an additional 28,231 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the fourth 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 during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $340,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 14.6% during the 2nd quarter. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 799 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Liberty Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 5.2% in the second quarter. Liberty Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,780 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,611,000 after purchasing an additional 726 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market and analyst support — Several firms kept buy/overweight ratings or reiterated long-term confidence after the Q4 release, arguing the sell-off may be overdone and highlighting UnitedHealth’s underlying margin initiatives and long-term fundamentals. UnitedHealth Q4 Earnings Review: The Selloff Looks Overdone After Results
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term rebound in ETFs — Healthcare ETFs and related funds moved as UNH bounced (~4% at one point) on a mixed Q4 print plus commentary that 2026 cost trends could improve, which likely supported intraday buying from funds and momentum traders. Healthcare ETFs in Focus as UnitedHealth Rises 4% Post Mixed Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst target tweaks — Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target slightly to $409 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling stabilized expectations rather than a wholesale shift in conviction. This is a modest signal versus outright downgrades. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley as Outlook Stabilizes
• Negative Sentiment: Large put-option activity — Unusually high put buying (376,697 contracts, +131% vs. typical volume) indicates elevated downside hedging or speculative bearish positioning, increasing near-term downside pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts — Multiple firms reduced targets (examples: Jefferies to $340, Leerink to $345, Oppenheimer to $385, RBC to $361, UBS trimmed targets), which amplifies pessimism around near-term earnings/guidance and contributes to downward momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance & Medicare payment shock — The main catalyst for the rout was a cautious FY2026 outlook and disappointing Medicare Advantage payment updates; investors marked the company down sharply on lower-than-expected forward cash/earnings visibility. UnitedHealth (UNH) Loses 19.6% on Weak Outlook, Medicare Payment Update
• Negative Sentiment: Political stock sales & market-cap hit — Reports of politicians selling UNH before the crash and headlines about a $50–99 billion market-cap loss have heightened scrutiny and negative sentiment, which can prolong volatility. These 3 U.S. politicians suspiciously dumped UnitedHealth stock weeks before crash
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary and “trap” warnings — Multiple op-eds and analyst notes argue the recovery may take time or that buying the dip could be a trap; that negative narrative is pressuring demand for the stock in the near term. UnitedHealth: Buying The Dip Could Be A Trap

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.