UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Given New $453.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $453 from $395 and kept an overweight rating, implying about 14% upside from the prior close.
• UnitedHealth shares rose 5.2% to $396.75 after the upgrade. The stock has been trading near its 52-week high, with a market cap of about $360.3 billion.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue, while analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $404.42.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $395.00 to $453.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the healthcare conglomerate's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target would indicate a potential upside of 14.18% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on UNH. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $444.00 to $492.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. TD Cowen upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $404.42.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 5.2%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock traded up $19.75 during trading on Thursday, hitting $396.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,165,619 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,909,854. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $404.15. The stock has a market cap of $360.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $343.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $322.52.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group's revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after acquiring an additional 995,210 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $14,931,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,834 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after purchasing an additional 824,120 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,215,660,000 after purchasing an additional 680,077 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $6,158,734,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155,162 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth Group to “buy” from “neutral” and raised its price target to $450 from $420, signaling renewed confidence in the stock’s rebound potential. UnitedHealth Group Stock Eyes Rebound on Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth also announced a 5% increase in its quarterly dividend to $2.32 per share, which can support investor sentiment by reinforcing cash-return discipline. UnitedHealth Raises Dividend by 5% as Turnaround Efforts Continue
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders re-elected the company’s directors and approved executive compensation at the annual meeting, confirming governance continuity rather than driving a major new catalyst. UnitedHealth Group Updates on Annual Shareholder Meeting, Board Actions
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary remained constructive, with analysts pointing to aging demographics, Medicare premiums, and healthcare technology adoption as tailwinds for managed-care insurers like UNH. 5 HMO Stocks in Focus Amid an Aging U.S. Population, Tech Innovation
• Negative Sentiment: Recent articles highlighted cost pressure and Medicare reimbursement concerns for UnitedHealth, which remain a key overhang for the stock. UnitedHealth Faces Cost Pressure As Managed Care Scrutiny Builds

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.

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