UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Given Hold Rating at TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen reaffirmed its “hold” rating on UnitedHealth Group and set a $402 price target, implying about 2.1% downside from the prior close.
• UnitedHealth exceeded quarterly expectations with $4.69 in earnings per share and $112.7 billion in revenue, while raising its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to at least $20.50.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average target of $461.48, though concerns about membership declines, Medicare Advantage exits and rising costs could limit further upside.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at TD Cowen in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $402.00 price target on the healthcare conglomerate's stock. TD Cowen's price objective points to a potential downside of 2.08% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. HSBC lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. New Street Research set a $402.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $441.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $461.48.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH traded up $14.92 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $410.54. The company had a trading volume of 3,406,839 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,356,188. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $387.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $383.47. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company has a market capitalization of $368.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.60.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. The company had revenue of $112.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.59 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 20.00 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,977,920. The trade was a 7.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 40.6% in the 3rd quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors now owns 1,645 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $604,000 after acquiring an additional 475 shares in the last quarter. Nvwm LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 89.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 70 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,861 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $683,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,375,000. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 480,050 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $176,217,000 after buying an additional 2,086 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat and guidance raise: UnitedHealth reported adjusted earnings of $4.69 per share, above the $4.14 consensus estimate, on revenue of $112.7 billion versus expectations of $111.3 billion. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50, compared with its previous $19.50–$20.00 range. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path
• Positive Sentiment: Improving profitability: The medical care ratio improved to 88.4%, while lower medical costs, pricing discipline and benefit changes supported a significant year-over-year increase in earnings. Optum also contributed $3.7 billion in operating earnings, reinforcing the view that the recovery is broadening. UnitedHealth Group Gains After Q3 Beat and Higher 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Optimistic analyst views: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $506, and Piper Sandler increased its target to $504 while maintaining an overweight rating. Analysts also cited faster-than-expected Medicare Advantage margin recovery and potential for stronger 2027 growth. Goldman Sachs Raises UNH Target Price to $506
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst positioning: TD Cowen reaffirmed a hold rating with a $402 target, while Barclays retained overweight at $440 and lowered its target slightly. This suggests much of the earnings improvement may already be reflected in the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Growth concerns remain: Investors are questioning the sustainability of the recovery as membership declines, the company exits certain Medicare Advantage markets, and commercial medical costs and Medicaid pressures weigh on margins. Baird cut its target to $427 and assigned a neutral rating, while some commentary warned that improved results alone may not justify further upside. UnitedHealth Group FQ3 Earnings Positives Already Priced In

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated NYSE: UNH is a diversified health care and well-being company serving individuals, employers, health care providers and government programs. Its operations are organized primarily through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and services, including employer-sponsored coverage, individual and family plans, Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and other government-supported programs. Its services include health insurance administration, pharmacy benefits and care management.

Optum provides health care services, technology and data solutions, pharmacy services, and analytics to health plans, employers, government agencies, health care providers and consumers.