UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Down 1.8% on Analyst Downgrade

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) dropped 1.8% during trading on Friday after Barclays lowered their price target on the stock from $391.00 to $327.00. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the stock. UnitedHealth Group traded as low as $284.70 and last traded at $287.0310. Approximately 11,973,914 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the average daily volume of 11,626,244 shares. The stock had previously closed at $292.29.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on UNH. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued 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.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.75.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and near-term optimism: UNH reported an EPS beat that briefly lifted sentiment and helped the stock rally after the print. That positive earnings surprise shows operations can still deliver despite headwinds. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Potential policy upside: Commentary that UNH is negotiating with the administration for more favorable Medicare rates is a tailwind if realized, supporting longer-term policy risk mitigation. 5 Stocks Primed for a Turnaround in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Modest analyst adjustments but continued support: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target slightly while keeping an Overweight rating, signaling analyst conviction remains even as near-term assumptions are revised. UnitedHealth (UNH) Sees Modest Target Cut at Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate on durability: Several analyst pieces argue the current weakness may be temporary (AI-driven efficiencies, margin recovery) — this creates mixed near-term flows as value buyers size positions vs. risk-averse sellers. UnitedHealth: Opportunity Is Here – Temporary FY2026 Pain
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target cuts: Barclays and Wells Fargo lowered targets (while keeping Overweight ratings), signaling reduced near-term expectations and likely weighing on buying momentum. Analyst Price Target Changes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reimbursement pressure: Proposed smaller Medicare reimbursements and government scrutiny of insurer margins remain the largest catalyst for the sell-off and uncertainty around 2026-27 margins. UnitedHealth Plunges After Weak Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated bearish positioning: Unusual options activity showed a large jump in put buying, indicating short-term hedging or speculative bearish bets that can amplify downward moves. (Options volume data reported 376,697 puts traded vs. average ~163k.)

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UNH. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,837,207,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,503,419,000 after purchasing an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,572,193,000. Dodge & Cox grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% during the second quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,750,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,729,912,000 after buying an additional 4,730,192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,516,107,000 after buying an additional 3,439,182 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $330.74 and its 200-day moving average is $323.29. The company has a market cap of $260.00 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The business’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated 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 issued a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

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.