UnitedHealthcare Shares Climb 9%, Humana Up 11% in After-Hours Trading After CMS Medicare Announcement
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 06 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ELV?
Source: moomoo
Healthcare Shares Rise: Shares of UnitedHealth Care increased by 9% following the announcement from CMS regarding Medicare.
Humana Gains: Humana's shares saw an 11% rise in after-hours trading, reflecting positive market reactions to the same CMS announcement.
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Analyst Views on ELV
Wall Street analysts forecast ELV stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 319.360
Low
332.00
Averages
389.07
High
425.00
Current: 319.360
Low
332.00
Averages
389.07
High
425.00
About ELV
Elevance Health, Inc. is a health company. It operates as a health insurer in the United States. The Company operates through four segments: Health Benefits, CarelonRx, Carelon Services and Corporate & Other. The Health Benefits segment offers a comprehensive suite of health plans and services to its Individual, Employer Group risk-based, Employer Group fee-based, BlueCard, Medicare, Medicaid and Federal Employee Program (FEP) members. The Health Benefits segment also offers health products on a full-risk basis. The CarelonRx segment includes its pharmacy services business. CarelonRx markets and offers pharmacy services to its affiliated health plan customers, as well as to external customers outside of the health plans. The Carelon Services segment integrates physical, behavioral, pharmacy, and social services by offering an array of healthcare-related services and capabilities to internal and external customers through its Carelon Health and Carelon Insights businesses.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Announcement Date: Elevance Health (ELV) is set to announce its Q1 earnings on April 22 before market open, with a consensus EPS estimate of $10.77, reflecting a 10.0% year-over-year decline, which may impact investor sentiment.
- Revenue Expectations Decline: The consensus revenue estimate stands at $48.15 billion, down 1.3% year-over-year, indicating challenges the company faces in the current economic environment, potentially affecting its future market performance.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Elevance Health has beaten EPS estimates 63% of the time and revenue estimates 88% of the time, demonstrating a degree of stability in financial performance that may attract investor interest.
- Estimates Revision Dynamics: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen 10 upward revisions and 4 downward revisions, while revenue estimates have experienced 1 upward revision and 6 downward revisions, indicating a divergence in analysts' outlook on the company's future performance, which could influence stock price volatility.
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- Industry Confidence Boost: Molina Healthcare's shares rose 1.9% in the afternoon session as UnitedHealth Group reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter profits, reflecting a surge in investor confidence across the healthcare insurance sector.
- Volatility Insights: The stock has experienced 19 moves greater than 5% over the past year, indicating that today's increase is seen as significant by the market, although it does not fundamentally alter perceptions of Molina's business.
- Profitability Challenges: Molina's adjusted earnings of $1.84 per share fell 52.7% short of analyst expectations of $3.89, prompting the company to lower its 2025 adjusted earnings guidance by 26.3%, highlighting ongoing profitability issues.
- Long-term Investment Returns: Molina's stock is down 15.3% year-to-date, trading at $151.08, which is 54.5% below its 52-week high of $332, indicating that investors who bought $1,000 worth of shares five years ago would now see only $593.78.
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- Strong Retail Sales: US March retail sales rose 1.7% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 1.4% and marking the largest increase in a year, indicating robust consumer spending that could bolster economic recovery and market confidence.
- Earnings Support: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $9.23, significantly above the consensus of $6.57, raising its full-year forecast to above $18.25, which has driven health insurance stocks higher and reflects industry resilience.
- Fed Nomination in Focus: Kevin Warsh's confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee is drawing attention; despite facing an investigation hurdle, Warsh's commitment to an independent Fed and prioritizing inflation control could influence future monetary policy directions.
- International Tensions Impact Oil Prices: WTI crude oil prices fell over 1% as Iran is set to attend peace talks with the US, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to exacerbate the global energy crisis, affecting market sentiment.
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- Market Performance: The S&P 500 Index fell by 0.13%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average also declined by 0.13%, while the Nasdaq 100 saw a slight increase of 0.02%, reflecting market volatility influenced by oil price rebounds and economic data.
- Strong Economic Data: March retail sales rose by 1.7% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 1.4%, marking the largest increase in a year, indicating robust consumer spending that may support stock prices.
- Oil Price Recovery: WTI crude oil prices rebounded by over 2% as market speculation intensified regarding Iran's participation in upcoming peace talks, potentially exacerbating the global energy crisis.
- Impressive Earnings Reports: UnitedHealth Group reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $9.23, significantly above the consensus of $6.57, leading to a stock price increase of over 7% and raising its full-year earnings forecast, showcasing strong performance in the health insurance sector.
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- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.63%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.59%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.42%, reflecting investor concerns over the uncertainty surrounding Iran's geopolitical situation, which dampened market sentiment.
- Oil Price Rebound Impact: WTI crude oil prices rebounded by over 2% after Iran announced it would not attend peace talks, raising fears of a deepening global energy crisis, which could further hinder economic recovery.
- Supportive Economic Data: March retail sales rose by 1.7% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 1.4%, indicating robust consumer spending that may provide some support for the stock market, despite overall market pressures.
- Fed Nominee Supports Independence: Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh emphasized the importance of monetary policy independence and controlling inflation in his Senate Banking Committee statement, which could positively influence market confidence.
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- Oil Price Surge Impact: The U.S. WTI crude oil price jumped 5% to $94 per barrel, causing the benchmark 10-Year Treasury yield to rise to 4.3%, leading to a market pullback after early gains, indicating investor sensitivity to oil price fluctuations.
- Mixed Earnings Reactions: While many companies exceeded analyst EPS expectations, such as UnitedHealth beating by 66 cents, most only slightly raised their full-year outlooks, reflecting management's cautious stance amid economic uncertainty.
- Ongoing Geopolitical Effects: Vice President JD Vance's diplomatic trip was postponed due to Iran's lack of response to U.S. negotiating positions, and despite a calming of geopolitical tensions, the market remains uneasy about the future of the Iran war ceasefire, impacting investor confidence.
- Upcoming Earnings Focus: Capital One is expected to report total revenue of $15.36 billion and adjusted EPS of $4.55, with investors looking for more meaningful synergies from the Discover acquisition, highlighting concerns about future growth prospects.
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