UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Up 1% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• UnitedHealth shares rose about 1% to about $285.25 in mid-day trading on lower-than-average volume and are trading below their 50‑day (~$306) and 200‑day (~$326) moving averages.
• Analysts remain broadly positive—one Strong Buy, 17 Buys, 8 Holds and 2 Sells—giving an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $372.13, though several firms recently trimmed targets.
• UNH slightly beat Q4 expectations with $2.11 EPS vs. $2.09 and $113.73B revenue (+12.3% YoY), set FY2026 guidance near 17.75 EPS, and declared a quarterly dividend of $2.21 (annualized yield ~3.1%, ex-dividend March 9).

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) shot up 1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $286.22 and last traded at $285.2450. 6,751,320 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 32% from the average session volume of 9,904,188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $282.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Evercore raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $408.00 to $361.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $258.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.41. The stock's 50 day moving average is $306.41 and its 200 day moving average is $325.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $113.73 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 quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. Analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be given a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group's payout ratio is presently 67.02%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. North Capital Inc. increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. North Capital Inc. now owns 194 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Sunflower Bank N.A. increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.5% in the third quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 1,916 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $662,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Axis Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% during the third quarter. Axis Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,631 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Abound Wealth Management increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 244 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Founders Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Founders Capital Management LLC now owns 982 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

About UnitedHealth Group

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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