Brokerages Set UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) PT at $385.54

Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twenty-nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have issued a hold recommendation and seventeen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $385.5417.

UNH has been the topic of several research reports. Mizuho increased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $352.00 to $386.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $317.00 to $409.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $423.00 to $417.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 28th.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth published external reviews and made previously internal audit findings public as part of a transparency push — a governance move that could restore stakeholder trust over time and reduce regulatory risk. UnitedHealth Published External Reviews as Part of Transparency Push
• Positive Sentiment: Management released 23 action plans from an independent audit and committed to complete implementation by end of March, showing a clear remediation timeline that investors can monitor. This reduces execution uncertainty if plans are delivered. UnitedHealth Group commits to improvements after independent audit, patient backlash
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets are pitching UNH as an attractive dividend/long-term buy for 2026 given scale and cash flow, which could draw income-focused buyers despite near-term volatility. Is UnitedHealth the Single Best Dividend Stock to Buy for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reuters reports the company will standardize and automate processes in its health services and pharmacy units — likely to improve efficiency long term but may cause near-term implementation costs. UnitedHealth pledges operational changes after external audits
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage is reframing UNH’s trajectory as “back to basics” for 2026 and re-evaluating valuation after a steep multi-quarter decline — helpful context but not immediate catalysts. How UnitedHealth will be getting ‘back to basics’ in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst writeups and comparison pieces (e.g., UNH vs. Eli Lilly) are prompting renewed investor debate on whether UNH’s pullback creates a buying opportunity or signals deeper secular concerns. Better Buy in 2026: UnitedHealth Group or Eli Lilly?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent Chinese-language market updates and stock-commentary pieces summarize analyst views and outlooks ahead of year-end — useful for sentiment tracking but not new catalysts. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Stock Update: Insights and Analyst Predictions Ahead of December 18, 2025 UNH Stock’s Transition From Stability To Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Patient backlash and the breadth of issues revealed by audits have hurt sentiment and could invite closer regulatory scrutiny or legal risk, pressuring the stock near term. UnitedHealth Group commits to improvements after independent audit, patient backlash
• Negative Sentiment: UNH has endured a steep 2025 drawdown (~35% YTD), prompting valuation re?ratings and increased volatility — a macro reason some investors are selling rather than buying the remediation story. Is UnitedHealth the Single Best Dividend Stock to Buy for 2026?

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of UNH opened at $327.41 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $296.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.43. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $336.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $318.07. UnitedHealth Group has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $606.36.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $113.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 19.23%. The business’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $7.15 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were issued a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.14%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,837,207,000. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 126.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 13,042,049 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,503,419,000 after buying an additional 7,293,009 shares in the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second 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 purchasing an additional 4,730,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 21,766,922 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $7,516,107,000 after purchasing an additional 3,439,182 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.