UNITEDHEALTH: JEFFERIES INCREASES TARGET PRICE TO $373, UP FROM $340
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 20 2026
0mins
Source: moomoo
- Price Increase Announcement: UnitedHealth has raised its price target for shares of Star Health from $340 to $373.
- Market Impact: This adjustment reflects a positive outlook on Star Health's performance and potential growth in the market.
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Analyst Views on UNH
Wall Street analysts forecast UNH stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 377.000
Low
330.00
Averages
397.82
High
444.00
Current: 377.000
Low
330.00
Averages
397.82
High
444.00
About UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a healthcare and well-being company. Its segments include Optum Health, Optum Insight, Optum Rx, and UnitedHealthcare, which includes UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement and UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Optum Health provides comprehensive and patient-centered care, addressing the physical, mental, and social well-being. Optum Health delivers primary, specialty and surgical care and helps patients and providers navigate and address complex, chronic and behavioral health needs. Optum Insight connects the healthcare system with services, analytics and platforms that make clinical, administrative and financial processes simpler and more efficient for all participants in the healthcare system. Optum Rx offers a range of pharmacy care services through retail pharmacies, through home delivery, specialty and community health pharmacies and the provision of in-home and community-based infusion services.
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.
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- Improving Medical Cost Trends: BofA analyst Kevin Fischbeck upgraded UnitedHealth's rating from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’ with a new price target of $450, noting that first-quarter medical cost trends exceeded consensus expectations, which is expected to drive favorable second-quarter performance.
- Shifting Market Sentiment: According to Stocktwits data, retail sentiment around UnitedHealth has shifted from ‘bearish’ to ‘neutral’, with message volumes increasing from ‘low’ to ‘normal’, indicating a recovery in investor confidence regarding the company's future prospects.
- Strong Earnings Report: UnitedHealth reported first-quarter revenue of $111.7 billion, surpassing analyst expectations, while adjusted earnings came in at $7.23 per share, significantly exceeding Wall Street's estimate of $6.61, showcasing the company's robust performance and profitability in the healthcare insurance market.
See More
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- Tech Sector Decline: Broadcom's stock plummeted over 14% due to disappointing AI revenue forecasts, leading to a broader decline in chipmakers, while CrowdStrike fell more than 8% despite beating Q1 earnings expectations, reflecting market caution towards tech stocks.
- Mixed Economic Data: Initial jobless claims rose to 225,000, a 3.75-month high, indicating a weaker labor market, while Q1 nonfarm productivity was revised down to 0.3%, below expectations, potentially impacting future economic growth outlooks.
- Oil Price Impact: WTI crude oil prices fell over 3% amid a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which lowered inflation expectations and provided support for both stock and bond markets, improving investor sentiment.
See More
BofA Upgrades UnitedHealth to Buy Ahead of Q2 Earnings
- Upgrade Announcement: Bank of America upgraded UnitedHealth from Neutral to Buy, with analyst Kevin Fischbeck highlighting improving medical cost trends and near-term data that may support a better risk/reward profile, providing investors a fresh reason to revisit the stock.
- Price Target Increase: Fischbeck raised the price target for UnitedHealth from $420 to $450, emphasizing that the strong performance in Q1 was not solely due to lower medical utilization from flu activity and storms, indicating deeper underlying factors.
- Earnings Report Expectations: UnitedHealth is expected to report its Q2 2026 financials next month, and as one of the first managed care companies to report, its results often serve as a bellwether for the sector; if utilization trends in April and May remain favorable, it could boost sentiment across MCO peers.
- Warning Signs: Despite the upgrade, GuruFocus has detected 10 warning signs for UnitedHealth, prompting investors to carefully assess whether the stock is fairly valued, and suggesting the use of a free DCF calculator for analysis.
See More
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- Strategic Collaboration: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has entered into a strategic AI partnership with Inceptive Nucleics valued at up to $2 billion, aiming to leverage Inceptive's generative AI models to accelerate the discovery of RNA interference therapeutics, thereby enhancing its competitive edge in the biopharmaceutical sector.
- Market Rebound: Blackstone's shares rose 8% despite the firm limiting withdrawals from its Private Credit fund, indicating investor confidence as the stock is poised to end a three-day losing streak, reflecting a positive sentiment towards asset management firms.
- Stock Volatility: Broadcom's shares tumbled nearly 15% after reporting second-quarter revenue of $22.19 billion, falling short of the $22.27 billion expected by analysts, although CEO Hock Tan reiterated the company's fiscal year 2027 revenue guidance for AI chips to exceed $100 billion, raising concerns about future growth prospects.
- Healthcare Outlook: UnitedHealth's stock climbed 5% following an upgrade from Bank of America from neutral to buy, citing improving medical cost trends and supportive near-term data points that are expected to favorably impact second-quarter earnings, reflecting optimism in the health insurance sector.
See More
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- Tech Stock Decline: Broadcom (AVGO) shares plummeted over 15% after its AI revenue forecast fell short, marking it as the largest decliner in the Nasdaq 100, which reflects growing concerns about the tech sector and may dampen investor confidence.
- Weak Employment Data: Initial jobless claims in the US rose by 13,000 to 225,000, reaching a 3.75-month high, indicating a weakening labor market that could lead to downward revisions in growth expectations.
- Healthcare Stocks Strong: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) surged over 6%, leading gains in the S&P 500, after Bank of America upgraded its rating from neutral to buy with a price target of $450, showcasing resilience in the healthcare sector.
- International Market Volatility: European markets showed mixed results, with Eurozone April retail sales falling 0.4% month-over-month, worse than the expected 0.3%, indicating weak consumer spending that could pressure future economic growth.
See More
Chip Stocks Plummet, Broadcom Falls Over 15%
- Broadcom Disappointment: Broadcom's stock plummeted over 15% after failing to raise AI revenue expectations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, which disappointed investors and raised concerns about future growth prospects.
- Semiconductor ETFs Decline: The VanEck Semiconductor ETF fell approximately 3%, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF dropped 4%, indicating weakness across the semiconductor sector that could impact financing and investment decisions for related companies.
- Healthcare Stocks Surge: UnitedHealth Group's shares rose nearly 6% after BofA upgraded its rating from 'Neutral' to 'Buy', raising the price target from $420 to $450, highlighting the strong recovery potential in the healthcare sector.
- Crude Oil Prices Cool: U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined 3.48% to around $92.68 per barrel, reflecting market concerns over demand outlook, which may also affect the performance of energy-related stocks.
See More
