Shares of UnitedHealth Group rose approximately 1% in after-hours trading, following an upgrade by Raymond James. The financial services firm raised its rating for the managed care company from "Market Perform" to "Outperform."
Analyst John Ransom set a price target of $330, projecting that the company's earnings per share for 2027 and 2028 could surpass market consensus estimates by approximately 7.5% and 8%, respectively.
The firm highlighted that potential artificial intelligence initiatives could help reduce operational costs, while margins at its health services segment, Optum Health, are expected to improve. Raymond James indicated that modest reductions in administrative expenses might contribute to earnings growth.
The analyst added that UnitedHealth's current valuation multiples are in line with its peers but are at a discount compared to its own historical average price-to-earnings ratio of around 20 times.
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