UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Price Target Raised to $490.00

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its target price upped by UBS Group from $460.00 to $490.00 in a research note published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Erste Group Bank upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $463.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Argus raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $447.29.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of UNH opened at $426.39 on Friday. UnitedHealth Group has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $461.62. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $404.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $342.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $387.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by $1.44. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 59.72%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC now owns 419 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $174,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $576,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Founders Capital Management LLC now owns 982 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the second quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 2,589 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,076,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Matrix Trust Co raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 24.8% in the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 146 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth beat Q2 estimates on earnings and revenue, driven by improved margins and lower medical costs, and raised its 2026 profit outlook. UnitedHealth shares surge on strong earnings beat and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, UBS, RBC, and other firms lifted price targets after the results, signaling stronger Street confidence in the stock’s recovery. Analyst price target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Management doubled the 2026 share repurchase target to at least $5 billion, which may help support EPS and investor returns. What’s Fueling UNH Stock’s Rally? A Bigger Buyback, Higher Guidance – And CEO Says Turnaround Is ‘Returning To Form’
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around the earnings call says Medicare Advantage and Optum are improving, but commercial cost pressures could delay a full margin recovery. UnitedHealth Q2 Earnings Call Focuses on Reset and Durable Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious, with at least one downgrade noting that the turnaround still faces execution risk despite the stronger quarter. UnitedHealth Group Q2: The Real Test Begins Now (Downgrade)

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.