Robert W. Baird Upgrades UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) to Neutral

Posted by Linda Flegge on Jul 16th, 2026

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Robert W. Baird from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued on Thursday. The brokerage currently has a $453.00 target price on the healthcare conglomerate’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.14% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on UNH. Piper Sandler set a $477.00 price objective on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $453.00 to $468.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. UBS Group increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $438.92.

View Our Latest Research Report on UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH traded up $12.34 during trading on Thursday, reaching $430.86. The stock had a trading volume of 8,683,656 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,449,454. The stock has a market cap of $391.28 billion, a PE ratio of 32.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.62. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $402.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $341.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. UnitedHealth Group has a one year low of $234.60 and a one year high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.87 by $1.51. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $110.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.08 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group will post 18.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,376,167,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 141.9% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,109,029 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,356,432,000 after acquiring an additional 2,410,128 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 864.4% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,523,700 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $833,099,000 after acquiring an additional 2,262,006 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,713,684 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $3,169,606,000 after purchasing an additional 2,097,859 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 87.5% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 3,916,041 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $1,294,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,826,948 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth delivered Q2 EPS of $6.38, well above Wall Street expectations, while revenue of $112.03 billion also topped estimates, signaling that the business performed better than feared. UnitedHealth Group Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Positive Sentiment: The company raised FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $19.50-$20.00 from a prior outlook above $18.25, a meaningful sign that management sees continued momentum in the recovery. UnitedHealth raises 2026 forecast as it controls medical costs
Positive Sentiment: Management said medical costs are coming under control and operating income in Optum improved, easing a key investor concern and supporting the stock’s rebound. UnitedHealth blows past estimates, hikes earnings outlook as it reins in costs
Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said it remains on track to repurchase at least $5 billion of shares in 2026, which can support EPS and investor sentiment. Unitedhealth Stock Gains On Strong Q2 Profit, Raised FY26 Outlook

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.