New York, January 6, 2026, 17:51 EST — After-hours
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated shares rose on Tuesday after Sky News reported private equity firm TPG was close to buying the insurer’s Optum UK unit. The stock ended the regular session up $7.03, or about 2%, at $348.97.
The report lands weeks before UnitedHealth is set to post full-year results and give 2026 financial guidance, a read-through on medical cost trends and pricing across its insurance and services businesses. UnitedHealth has said it will report on Jan. 27, before the market opens, and host a conference call at 8 a.m. ET.
Optum UK supplies electronic patient record systems used by most British general practitioners, and the unit includes EMIS, a major GP software provider that Optum bought for £1.24 billion and that UK regulators cleared in 2023 after an in-depth review. Any exit would underscore how investors are parsing what stays inside Optum and what does not.
Sky News put the potential deal at £1.2 billion to £1.4 billion and said an announcement could come in the next few weeks, though the talks are not final. Reuters reported Bank of America is advising on the process and that other buyout firms, including Blackstone, have shown interest; TPG could seek to pair Optum UK with Nextech, an electronic medical record software provider it already owns.
Analysts also stepped in with fresh calls on the stock. Evercore ISI analyst Elizabeth Anderson initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $400 price target, describing 2026 as a “transition year” with improvement more likely to show up in 2027 and 2028. TipRanks
At Bernstein, analyst Lance Wilkes raised his price target to $444 and kept an Outperform rating, arguing a recovery in government managed care can begin in 2026, even with “bumps in the recovery.” Government managed care includes Medicare Advantage — privately run plans for seniors under the federal Medicare program — and Medicaid, the state-federal program for lower-income Americans. TipRanks
Barclays analyst Andrew Mok lifted his target to $391 and reiterated Overweight, pointing to margin expansion prospects in 2026 and a rotation toward “de-rated underperformers” as investors cool on artificial-intelligence winners. A price target is an analyst’s estimate of where a stock should trade over the next 12 months. TipRanks
Risks cut both ways. The Optum UK talks remain tentative and could still fall through, while medical “utilization” — the pace at which members use care — remains elevated, an issue Evercore has flagged across managed-care names including UnitedHealth, CVS and Humana. GuruFocus+1
The next catalyst is Jan. 27, when UnitedHealth is due to report and outline its 2026 outlook, with investors watching for commentary on pricing, medical costs and any update on Optum’s portfolio.
