Bio-Techne and UnitedHealth Options Trading Activity Surges
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 10 2026
0mins
Should l Buy CNC?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Bio-Techne Options Volume: Bio-Techne Corp (Ticker: TECH) has seen an options trading volume of 15,116 contracts today, equating to approximately 1.5 million shares, which represents a significant 62.4% of its average daily trading volume over the past month of 2.4 million shares.
- High Volume Contracts: Notably, the $60 strike call option for TECH has recorded a high volume of 5,055 contracts traded today, representing around 505,500 underlying shares, indicating strong market interest at this price level.
- UnitedHealth Options Activity: UnitedHealth Group Inc (Ticker: UNH) has reported an options trading volume of 39,170 contracts today, translating to approximately 3.9 million shares, which is about 47.5% of its average daily trading volume over the past month of 8.3 million shares, reflecting investor focus on its future performance.
- Key Contract Insights: The $300 strike call option for UNH has seen a trading volume of 2,172 contracts today, representing approximately 217,200 shares, suggesting bullish expectations in the market, potentially linked to anticipated future earnings performance.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy CNC?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on CNC
Wall Street analysts forecast CNC stock price to fall
15 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
8 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 53.690
Low
32.00
Averages
43.07
High
59.00
Current: 53.690
Low
32.00
Averages
43.07
High
59.00
About CNC
Centene Corporation is a healthcare company. It provides access to quality healthcare; programs and a range of health solutions that help families and individuals get well. Its segments include Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial and Other. The Medicaid segment includes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Medicaid Expansion programs, the Aged, Blind or Disabled (ABD) program, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), Foster Care, Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMP), which cover beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare and other state-based programs. The Medicare segment includes Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. The Commercial segment includes the Health Insurance Marketplace product along with individual, small group, and large group commercial health insurance products.
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.
Analysts Upgrade Centene to Buy Ratings on Margin Outlook
- Strong Financial Performance: Centene (CNC) reported better-than-expected financials for Q1 2026, prompting analysts to upgrade their ratings, indicating the company's robust recovery potential in the health insurance sector.
- Rating Upgrades: Bank of America raised Centene's rating from Underperform to Buy and increased its price target from $34 to $60 per share, reflecting an optimistic outlook on the company's margin prospects.
- Improved Market Outlook: Cantor Fitzgerald also upgraded Centene from Neutral to Overweight, raising its price target from $41 to $60, with analysts suggesting a ~90% upside over the next two years, showcasing market confidence in the company's future growth.
- Margin Recovery Expectations: Analysts project that despite significant margin pressure due to Medicaid enrollment shifts since 2023, Centene's margins are expected to gradually recover by 2024/25, indicating enhanced competitiveness in the market.
See More
Centene Exceeds Q1 Earnings and Raises 2026 Outlook
- Earnings Beat: Centene's Q1 earnings exceeded market expectations, with specific figures undisclosed, indicating strong performance in the healthcare insurance sector and boosting investor confidence.
- Outlook Upgrade: The company raised its 2026 financial outlook, reflecting an optimistic view of future growth, which may attract more investor interest in its long-term potential.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: BofA Securities upgraded Centene's rating to 'Buy', not only enhancing market confidence in its stock but also potentially driving up share prices and strengthening the company's market position.
- Price Target Increases: Analysts have generally raised their price targets for Centene, reflecting positive market expectations for its future performance, which could lead to increased capital inflow into the company's stock.
See More
Latest Wall Street Rating Updates
- Starbucks Rating Maintained: Morgan Stanley reiterates its overweight rating on Starbucks, indicating that the ongoing debate about the company's earnings power reflects an improving narrative that may attract more investor interest.
- Robinhood Outlook Positive: Bernstein maintains an outperform rating on Robinhood, noting that HOOD stock marked a bottom in Q1 and has started strong in April, suggesting increasing market confidence in its future.
- CoreWeave Price Target Raised: Wells Fargo raises CoreWeave's price target from $125 to $135, believing that the company's leading position in AI infrastructure will allow it to benefit as demand continues to outpace supply.
- Telecom Argentina Upgrade: JPMorgan upgrades Telecom Argentina from neutral to overweight, expecting substantial benefits from market consolidation as the antitrust review of its acquisition of Telefonica Argentina nears completion.
See More
Centene Corp: Jefferies Increases Price Target to $48, Up from $39
- Company Overview: Centene Corporation has raised its target price for shares of Jeffries from $39 to $48.
- Market Impact: This adjustment reflects a positive outlook on the company's performance and potential growth in the market.
See More
U.S. Stocks Close Lower, Weighed Down by Tech Sector
- Tech Sector Decline: Technology stocks fell broadly as concerns about the return on massive AI investments grew, with OpenAI missing its new user and sales targets, putting pressure on shares of partners like Nvidia and Oracle, which negatively impacted market sentiment.
- Positive Economic Data: Despite the market downturn, the U.S. consumer confidence index unexpectedly rose to 92.8, surpassing expectations, indicating economic resilience that could provide support for the market.
- Surging Oil Prices: WTI crude oil prices jumped over 3% to a two-week high amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially exacerbating the global energy crisis and pushing inflation expectations higher.
- Fed Policy Expectations: The market anticipates that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged at the upcoming meeting, focusing on oil prices and inflation dynamics, reflecting a cautious outlook on the economic landscape.
See More
Centene Exceeds Q1 Expectations, Raises 2026 EPS Outlook
- Performance Exceeds Expectations: Centene reported an adjusted EPS of $3.37 for Q1 2026, surpassing expectations and prompting the company to raise its full-year EPS outlook to over $3.40, reflecting strong financial performance and market confidence.
- Strong Medicaid Results: The company ended Q1 with 12.4 million Medicaid members and an HBR of 93.1%, a 50 basis point improvement from Q1 2025, indicating ongoing enhancements in the Medicaid segment and an expansion of market share.
- Robust Cash Flow: Q1 operational cash flow reached $4.47 billion, showcasing the company's strong cash generation capabilities, while actions such as selling $1 billion in Part D risk share receivables and repurchasing $1 billion in senior notes reduced the debt-to-cap ratio to 43.2%, enhancing financial flexibility.
- Prudent Outlook: Despite a strong Q1 performance, management maintains a cautious outlook for the latter half of 2026, anticipating that Medicaid net trends will remain in the mid-4% range, reflecting uncertainties around market volatility and risk adjustments.
See More
Analysts Upgrade Centene to Buy Ratings on Margin Outlook
- Strong Financial Performance: Centene (CNC) reported better-than-expected financials for Q1 2026, prompting analysts to upgrade their ratings, indicating the company's robust recovery potential in the health insurance sector.
- Rating Upgrades: Bank of America raised Centene's rating from Underperform to Buy and increased its price target from $34 to $60 per share, reflecting an optimistic outlook on the company's margin prospects.
- Improved Market Outlook: Cantor Fitzgerald also upgraded Centene from Neutral to Overweight, raising its price target from $41 to $60, with analysts suggesting a ~90% upside over the next two years, showcasing market confidence in the company's future growth.
- Margin Recovery Expectations: Analysts project that despite significant margin pressure due to Medicaid enrollment shifts since 2023, Centene's margins are expected to gradually recover by 2024/25, indicating enhanced competitiveness in the market.
See More
Centene Exceeds Q1 Earnings and Raises 2026 Outlook
- Earnings Beat: Centene's Q1 earnings exceeded market expectations, with specific figures undisclosed, indicating strong performance in the healthcare insurance sector and boosting investor confidence.
- Outlook Upgrade: The company raised its 2026 financial outlook, reflecting an optimistic view of future growth, which may attract more investor interest in its long-term potential.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: BofA Securities upgraded Centene's rating to 'Buy', not only enhancing market confidence in its stock but also potentially driving up share prices and strengthening the company's market position.
- Price Target Increases: Analysts have generally raised their price targets for Centene, reflecting positive market expectations for its future performance, which could lead to increased capital inflow into the company's stock.
See More
Latest Wall Street Rating Updates
- Starbucks Rating Maintained: Morgan Stanley reiterates its overweight rating on Starbucks, indicating that the ongoing debate about the company's earnings power reflects an improving narrative that may attract more investor interest.
- Robinhood Outlook Positive: Bernstein maintains an outperform rating on Robinhood, noting that HOOD stock marked a bottom in Q1 and has started strong in April, suggesting increasing market confidence in its future.
- CoreWeave Price Target Raised: Wells Fargo raises CoreWeave's price target from $125 to $135, believing that the company's leading position in AI infrastructure will allow it to benefit as demand continues to outpace supply.
- Telecom Argentina Upgrade: JPMorgan upgrades Telecom Argentina from neutral to overweight, expecting substantial benefits from market consolidation as the antitrust review of its acquisition of Telefonica Argentina nears completion.
See More
Centene Corp: Jefferies Increases Price Target to $48, Up from $39
- Company Overview: Centene Corporation has raised its target price for shares of Jeffries from $39 to $48.
- Market Impact: This adjustment reflects a positive outlook on the company's performance and potential growth in the market.
See More
U.S. Stocks Close Lower, Weighed Down by Tech Sector
- Tech Sector Decline: Technology stocks fell broadly as concerns about the return on massive AI investments grew, with OpenAI missing its new user and sales targets, putting pressure on shares of partners like Nvidia and Oracle, which negatively impacted market sentiment.
- Positive Economic Data: Despite the market downturn, the U.S. consumer confidence index unexpectedly rose to 92.8, surpassing expectations, indicating economic resilience that could provide support for the market.
- Surging Oil Prices: WTI crude oil prices jumped over 3% to a two-week high amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially exacerbating the global energy crisis and pushing inflation expectations higher.
- Fed Policy Expectations: The market anticipates that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged at the upcoming meeting, focusing on oil prices and inflation dynamics, reflecting a cautious outlook on the economic landscape.
See More
Centene Exceeds Q1 Expectations, Raises 2026 EPS Outlook
- Performance Exceeds Expectations: Centene reported an adjusted EPS of $3.37 for Q1 2026, surpassing expectations and prompting the company to raise its full-year EPS outlook to over $3.40, reflecting strong financial performance and market confidence.
- Strong Medicaid Results: The company ended Q1 with 12.4 million Medicaid members and an HBR of 93.1%, a 50 basis point improvement from Q1 2025, indicating ongoing enhancements in the Medicaid segment and an expansion of market share.
- Robust Cash Flow: Q1 operational cash flow reached $4.47 billion, showcasing the company's strong cash generation capabilities, while actions such as selling $1 billion in Part D risk share receivables and repurchasing $1 billion in senior notes reduced the debt-to-cap ratio to 43.2%, enhancing financial flexibility.
- Prudent Outlook: Despite a strong Q1 performance, management maintains a cautious outlook for the latter half of 2026, anticipating that Medicaid net trends will remain in the mid-4% range, reflecting uncertainties around market volatility and risk adjustments.
See More
