Oppenheimer Has Lowered Expectations for UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price objective dropped by research analysts at Oppenheimer from $415.00 to $385.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Oppenheimer’s target price points to a potential upside of 31.76% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. KeyCorp set a $405.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $406.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $380.67.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.6%

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

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.81 earnings per share. The business’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. Equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 7,509 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,479,000 after acquiring an additional 346 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $538,000. Washington Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Washington Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,325 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $437,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Anchyra Partners LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $603,000. Finally, New Hampshire Trust grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. New Hampshire Trust now owns 647 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $214,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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.