UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms also recently commented on UNH. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, HC Wainwright set a $492.00 price objective on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $429.50.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $425.20 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $401.79 and its 200-day moving average is $340.41. UnitedHealth Group has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $434.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $386.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.11, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 70.09%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. 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: Truist raised its price target on UNH to $480 from $440 and kept a buy rating, signaling confidence in additional upside. Truist price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp lifted its target to $475 from $400 and reiterated an overweight rating, adding to the bullish analyst momentum ahead of earnings. KeyCorp price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary point to UNH’s turnaround efforts, stronger cash flow, and renewed earnings growth as reasons the stock has rallied sharply this year. UnitedHealth Stock on a Tear Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are betting that the company’s AI investment plan could improve efficiency and support future profits, strengthening the bull case if execution is solid. UnitedHealth Is Investing $1.5 Billion in AI
• Neutral Sentiment: UNH reports second-quarter earnings on Thursday, and traders are focused on whether the company can meet expectations and potentially reach a new high after its recent run-up. UnitedHealth Reports Earnings Thursday
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlights UnitedHealth’s sensitivity to broader healthcare trends, including Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes and industry-wide cost pressures, which could influence results but are not yet a clear positive or negative. Eyes On Elevance Health, UnitedHealth

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.