Royal Bank Of Canada Has Lowered Expectations for UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price lowered by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $408.00 to $361.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target suggests a potential upside of 23.54% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also commented on UNH. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $267.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Leerink Partners set a $410.00 target price on UnitedHealth Group and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $380.67.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $292.20 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $606.36. The stock 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 company’s 50-day moving average is $331.39 and its 200-day moving average is $323.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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.