New York, January 5, 2026, 11:37 EST — Regular session
- UnitedHealth shares rose in late-morning trade after Barclays lifted its price target and reiterated an Overweight rating
- Investors are positioning ahead of UnitedHealth’s Jan. 27 results and 2026 guidance
- Scrutiny remains on medical-cost trends and the company’s follow-through on operational review action plans
UnitedHealth Group Inc shares were up 0.8% at $338.94 in late-morning trading on Monday after Barclays raised its price target on the health insurer. The stock has traded between $333.86 and $340.29 so far, with about 2.4 million shares changing hands.
The call hits with UnitedHealth set to release full-year 2025 results and 2026 financial guidance on Jan. 27 before the market opens. The company said it will host an 8:00 a.m. ET teleconference with analysts and investors the same day.
That timing matters because investors want a clearer read on 2026 after a year in which medical-cost swings reshaped sentiment across managed-care stocks. A key focus is the medical loss ratio — the share of premium revenue that goes to paying medical claims — and whether it stabilizes.
Barclays analyst Andrew Mok lifted his price target on UnitedHealth to $391 from $386 and reiterated an “Overweight” rating, GuruFocus reported. A price target is an analyst’s estimate of where a stock should trade, while “Overweight” signals an expectation it will outperform peers. GuruFocus
The move came alongside strength in parts of the managed-care group. Humana shares rose 3.3% and Elevance Health gained 1.7%, while CVS Health slipped 0.2%.
Traders are also weighing UnitedHealth’s promised operational clean-up across risk assessment, managed-care practices and pharmacy benefit operations. CEO Stephen Hemsley wrote in a December message to stakeholders, “We hope that you see these assessments as a commitment to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace.” UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth said it is on track to complete 65% of its action plans by the end of 2025 and 100% by the end of the first quarter of 2026, and it expects to share results from a review tied to its in-home HouseCalls visits during the first quarter. HouseCalls is an in-home health assessment program that can affect Medicare Advantage payments, which are government-funded plans run by private insurers for seniors and people with disabilities.
But the near-term setup still carries downside. UnitedHealth has said it is cooperating with criminal and civil U.S. Justice Department investigations into its Medicare Advantage billing practices, a Reuters report noted in December, and any escalation could complicate the stock’s path into guidance.
Next up is Jan. 27, when investors will press management on 2026 guidance, medical-cost trends and the pace of operational fixes.
