UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Given New $287.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target lifted by Robert W. Baird from $278.00 to $287.00 in a research note published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an underperform rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $425.00 to $389.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $377.68.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $353.51 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $438.85. The company’s 50-day moving average is $290.76 and its 200 day moving average is $317.09. The company has a market capitalization of $320.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.80.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.20 EPS. 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. Sell-side analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 67.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised guidance — UNH reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $7.23 (vs. consensus ~$6.76) and revenue of ~$111.7B, and raised FY?2026 adjusted EPS guidance to above $18.25, citing improved management of medical costs. This is the main catalyst for the rally. Business Wire — Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price?target increases — Multiple firms (Argus, RBC, Oppenheimer, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, etc.) raised ratings or targets after the report, adding upward pressure as sell?side momentum attracts buyers. 247wallst — Analyst Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: AI & operational initiatives — Management flagged a meaningful AI investment (and Optum Real transaction scale), which investors view as a durable margin/efficiency tailwind if deployment scales as planned. That narrative supports higher multiple assumptions. Yahoo Finance — Q1 Deep Dive (AI)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish options flow — Unusual activity: ~164k call options traded (?30% above average), signaling short?term bullish positioning from traders and institutional players.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector sentiment spillover — UNH’s beat dragged peers higher (CVS, Humana, Centene); positive industry momentum can amplify the stock move but doesn’t change UNH’s fundamentals. Yahoo — Sector Impact
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing risks remain — Management warned of challenges around a Medicare obesity?drug pilot and cautioned that medical?cost dynamics are still the key risk; if costs reaccelerate, margins and guidance could reverse. Reuters — Medicare Obesity Drug Pilot Challenges

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.