Wells Fargo & Company Lowers UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target to $370.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target decreased by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $400.00 to $370.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 28.91% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. UBS Group reduced 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. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $386.00 to $391.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $287.03 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $260.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $330.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $323.51.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The firm 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth approximately $3,837,207,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,572,193,000. Dodge & Cox lifted 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 grew 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 valued at $7,516,107,000 after acquiring 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 News Summary

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.)

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.