UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock Price Down 3% – Here’s Why

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s stock price was down 3% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $271.80 and last traded at $273.9160. Approximately 9,640,722 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 10,437,448 shares. The stock had previously closed at $282.34.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Industry tailwinds for healthcare finance and digital/AI-driven solutions could support Optum and fee-for-service revenues over the medium term, offering a strategic growth avenue for UNH. Healthcare Finance Solutions Industry Report 2026-2035
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses of UNH’s valuation note the company’s massive scale (reported ~US$447.6B revenue, large net income) but show share-price weakness across multiple time frames — useful context for longer-term value investors but not a catalyst by itself. A Look At UnitedHealth Group’s Valuation After Prolonged Share Price Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare profitability is under pressure: 2025 revenue rose but adjusted operating earnings plunged ~41% to $9.6B, driven by reduced Medicare funding and higher medical costs — a direct hit to the company’s margin profile and investor confidence. UnitedHealthcare Under Pressure: Can UNH’s Core Business Rebound?
• Negative Sentiment: Following weak guidance, analysts have trimmed expectations for UNH, and commentary highlights a near-14% YTD slide earlier in 2026 — analyst downgrades and lower earnings forecasts are amplifying selling pressure. Analysts Lower Expectations for UnitedHealth (UNH) Following Weak Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: recent coverage notes UNH has dipped more than the broader market, reflecting the combination of disappointing margin trends and guidance-led sentiment rather than a single isolated event. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

Analyst Ratings Changes

UNH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Evercore raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 3.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market cap of $248.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $315.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $325.57.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The firm had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $6.81 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its holdings 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 period. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. 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.