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Investing.com - Oppenheimer has reduced its price target on UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) stock to $325 from $400 while maintaining an Outperform rating. The stock, currently trading at $261.07, has declined over 50% in the past year, though InvestingPro analysis suggests the healthcare giant is significantly undervalued.
The research firm cited UnitedHealth’s reinstated 2025 adjusted earnings per share guidance of $16.00+, which Oppenheimer believes could represent trough earnings before the company returns to growth in 2026 and beyond. The company maintains strong fundamentals with a P/E ratio of 12.2x and has consistently raised dividends for 15 consecutive years, currently yielding 3.39%.
The 2025 guidance assumes performance at the bottom-end or below target ranges across Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, and OptumHealth segments, though Oppenheimer expects these metrics to improve significantly over the next two years as UnitedHealth re-prices its respective books.
UnitedHealth projects "moderate" EPS growth in 2026, with acceleration thereafter, according to Oppenheimer’s research note released Wednesday.
Following UnitedHealth’s second-quarter results, Oppenheimer lowered its fiscal year 2025/2026/2027 EPS estimates to $16.27/$17.61/$20.47 from previous projections of $22.42/$25.35/$28.80, but maintained its Outperform rating based on what it sees as trough earnings and a clearer path to future growth.
In other recent news, UnitedHealth Group’s second-quarter earnings call for 2025 highlighted a mixed financial performance. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $4.08, falling short of the forecasted $4.45, which marked an 8.31% surprise miss. Despite this, UnitedHealth saw a 13% increase in revenue year-over-year, reaching $112 billion. Piper Sandler responded to the earnings outlook by lowering its price target for UnitedHealth to $317, while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing significant transparency in the company’s earnings drivers and pricing assumptions. BofA Securities also reduced its price target to $300, maintaining a Neutral rating due to a slower-than-expected recovery pace. Meanwhile, Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) maintained its Outperform rating and a $350 price target, noting ongoing pricing pressure and elevated medical cost trends expected through 2026. UnitedHealth’s Medicaid business is projected to face negative margins by 2026, according to the company’s outlook. These developments reflect a cautious but varied analyst perspective on the company’s future performance.
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