Sanford C. Bernstein Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Stock

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) had its price target increased by Sanford C. Bernstein from $444.00 to $492.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 30.34% from the stock’s current price.

UNH has been the topic of several other research reports. Leerink Partners boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $345.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $395.00 target price (up from $370.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $389.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $278.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $393.52.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 2.8%

Shares of UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $377.48 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $331.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $320.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. UnitedHealth Group has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $404.15. The company has a market cap of $342.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.51, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.64.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group

In related 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 value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its position in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the fourth 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 acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.