UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) Hold Rating Reiterated at TD Cowen

18 Oct 2026, 06:06 by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets Daily

TD Cowen restated their hold rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. TD Cowen currently has a $402.00 price objective on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also commented on UNH. Piper Sandler increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $502.00 to $504.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday. New Street Research set a $402.00 price objective on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Friday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $435.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $462.90.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $401.77 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $387.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $384.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group has a twelve month low of $255.96 and a twelve month high of $461.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $360.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.60.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. The company had revenue of $112.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 17.95% and a net margin of 3.53%. The firm’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.59 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 20.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 14th. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total value of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. LFG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. LFG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 853 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Synergy Financial Group LTD raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.1% in the second quarter. Synergy Financial Group LTD now owns 887 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC boosted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Hudock Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 2,844 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,182,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC now owns 678 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and guidance exceeded expectations. UnitedHealth reported adjusted earnings of $4.69 per share versus the $4.14 consensus estimate, while revenue of $112.7 billion also topped forecasts. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50, supporting the recovery narrative. UnitedHealth Stock Moves Higher: What’s Going On?
Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains significant. JPMorgan raised its price target to $524 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while Goldman Sachs reportedly lifted its target to $506 after concluding that Medicare Advantage margin recovery is progressing faster than expected. JPMorgan Raises UnitedHealth Price Target
Positive Sentiment: Potential growth areas could support 2027 and beyond. UnitedHealth’s focus on Medicare special-needs plans, expanded coverage and care-delivery operations may provide targeted growth while improving margins. Its low beta also makes UNH attractive as a defensive healthcare holding during inflation and market rotation away from technology stocks. Can UNH’s Focus on Special Needs Plans Strengthen Medicare Growth?
Neutral Sentiment: Recent gains may have already priced in much of the good news. Commentary noted that the earnings beat and outlook increase were followed by questions about how durable the recovery will be, limiting the immediate upside despite bullish targets. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path
Negative Sentiment: Membership fell and medical costs remain high. Analysts are concerned that shrinking membership and elevated utilization could constrain revenue growth and margins, particularly if higher care costs persist. This is the main reason investors are questioning whether the earnings improvement can continue. UnitedHealth’s Q3 Margins Improve, But Membership Falls
Negative Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed. Barclays issued a pessimistic forecast, Robert W. Baird cut its price target, and TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating with a $402 target, signaling limited near-term upside for some investors.

About UnitedHealth Group

(Get Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company that provides health insurance coverage, health care services, pharmacy services and health technology. Its businesses serve individuals, employers, government programs, health care providers and other organizations, primarily in the United States.

The company operates through two principal businesses. UnitedHealthcare offers health benefit plans and related services for employers, individuals, families and government-sponsored programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.