Leerink Partners Lowers UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $345.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target decreased by equities researchers at Leerink Partners from $410.00 to $345.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Leerink Partners’ target price indicates a potential upside of 18.07% from the company’s current price.

UNH has been the subject of several other reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America lifted 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. Finally, 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 report on Friday, October 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $380.67.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $292.20 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $264.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.42. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $331.39 and its 200 day moving average is $323.38. 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.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly 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. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter worth $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC increased its stake 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines 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.