UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) shares are climbing Thursday as analysts react to a strong third quarter report and a raised 2026 forecast, while Raymond James maintained its rating.
Here’s what you should know. UnitedHealth Group stock is showing exceptional strength.
Why is UNH stock up today? Raymond James Trims UnitedHealth Price Target Raymond James analyst John Ransom maintained an Outperform rating on UnitedHealth Group and cut the price target to $450 from $475.
Ransom blamed the lower target on valuation alone. The $450 figure applies a multiple of about 16 to 2028 earnings per share, a multiple that has shrunk as investors worry about the midterms and possible changes to risk adjustment and Stars.
Ransom called the third quarter a strong one. 12 forecast.
05. The quarter also got a lift of about 53 cents per share, or $610 million, from favorable reserve development tied to 2026 dates of service.
0% Raymond James modeled. Roughly 70 basis points of the 150-basis-point improvement came from prior period development.
50. 00.
Management suggested 2027 Street forecasts are too conservative. 78 in 2027 adjusted EPS.
00. Ransom noted that leaning on the low end signals caution about commercial pressure and planned reinvestment.
Even so, Raymond James sees growth well above that level as margins recover in Medicare, Medicaid and Optum Health. UnitedHealth plans to share a fuller 2027 outlook at an investor event before the end of the year.
Other Analysts Update UnitedHealth Views TD Cowen reiterated a Hold rating and held its price target at $402 on Thursday morning, according to Benzinga Pro. A day earlier, three other firms updated their views: Baird analyst Michael Ha stayed at Neutral and cut the target to $427.
Piper Sandler kept an Overweight rating and raised its target slightly, to $504. Barclays analyst Andrew Mok kept an Overweight rating and trimmed the target to $440.
23 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
