Analysts Raise Price Target For UnitedHealth After Q2 Earnings Beat Expectations

In this article:

UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE: UNH) reported Q2 revenues of .3 billion, up 15% Y/Y and beating the consensus of $69.5 billion, and adjusted EPS came in at $4.70, surpassing the consensus of $4.43.

But net income declined from $7.12 posted a year ago fell due to higher medical expenses, as patients sought medical care they had avoided when the pandemic was raging 12 months earlier.

Analyst Price Target Raise: Truist raised the target to 0 from 0 and with Buy rating unchanged following strong trends across the platform, a lower MLR, sizable free cash flow, and raised guidance.

Barclays increased the price target from $435 to $465 and kept an Overweight rating.

Key takeaways from the Q2 conference call are overall care activity continued to trend "toward baseline or normalized levels" and the Company's expectation that overall medical costs in the 2H will be essentially flat with the pre-Covid baseline in the second half of 2019, Valiquette tells investors in a research note.

The target price at Raymond James increased to $515 from $435 with a Strong Buy rating. Q2 results exceeded the analyst's expectations across all business segments; Ransom tells investors in a research note.

View more earnings on UNH

Deutsche Bank raised the target on UnitedHealth to $421 from $418 and kept a Buy rating.

Stephens, too, raised the price target to $460 from $440, with an Overweight rating.

The Company's adjusted EPS outlook for the second half "maintains a healthy level of conservatism," said the analyst, who sees a better overall backdrop.

Credit Suisse increased target price to $$462 from $430 and maintained Outperform rating. It notes monthly utilization progression in Q2 similar in commercial & medicare business.

The Company sees 2H21 utilization at 'more normal to higher levels, citing pent-up demand & higher acuity.

Price Action: UNH shares are up 0.33% at $421.42 during the market session on the last check Friday.

Latest Ratings for UNH

Jul 2021

Stephens & Co.

Maintains

Overweight

Jul 2021

Deutsche Bank

Maintains

Buy

Jul 2021

Truist Securities

Maintains

Buy

View More Analyst Ratings for UNH
View the Latest Analyst Ratings

See more from Benzinga

© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Advertisement