Analyst Claims Cigna Provides Stronger Growth Prospects Compared to Other Health Insurers
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 17 2025
0mins
Source: Benzinga
BofA Securities Analysis: BofA Securities highlighted rising cost pressures and uncertainty in earnings estimates for managed care organizations, particularly noting that Medicare presents greater risks than Medicaid, while suggesting long-term growth potential for these organizations.
Cigna Group Performance: Cigna Group is seen as a strong investment due to its stable commercial health insurance segment and effective leverage in the pharmaceutical market, with expectations of 10%-15% annual EPS growth post-2026.
UnitedHealth Group Outlook: BofA views UnitedHealth Group favorably, anticipating margin expansion in 2027 contingent on a supportive Medicare Advantage rate environment, while awaiting regulatory proposals that could impact coding changes.
Challenges for Medicaid Insurers: Ongoing declines in Medicaid enrollment are complicating rate setting for insurers like Centene and Molina Healthcare, with uncertainty in pricing exchange risk for 2026 likely delaying market rewards until mid-2026.
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Analyst Views on UNH
Wall Street analysts forecast UNH stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 284.370
Low
330.00
Averages
397.82
High
444.00
Current: 284.370
Low
330.00
Averages
397.82
High
444.00
About UNH
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a healthcare and well-being company. Its segments include Optum Health, Optum Insight, Optum Rx, and UnitedHealthcare, which includes UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement and UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Optum Health offers comprehensive and patient-centered care, addressing the physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. Optum Health delivers primary, specialty and surgical care; helps patients and providers navigate and address complex, chronic and behavioral health needs. Optum Insight connects the healthcare system with services, analytics and platforms that make clinical, administrative and financial processes simpler and more efficient for all participants in the healthcare system. Optum Rx offers a range of pharmacy care services through retail pharmacies, through home delivery, specialty and community health pharmacies and the provision of in-home and community-based infusion services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Technical Analysis Tool: Comparing the current stock price to the 200-day moving average can provide valuable insights for investors, helping to assess market trends and optimal buying or selling opportunities.
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- Volatility Analysis: Despite the stock decline, the volatility skew suggests that investors are not overly worried about downside risks, as the implied volatility (IV) at lower strike prices does not indicate strong protective demand, reflecting a relatively calm market sentiment.
- Trading Parameter Setting: According to the Black-Scholes model, UnitedHealth stock is expected to trade between $288 and $302 over the next 35 days, with probability density peaking around $297, providing potential trading opportunities for investors.
- Bull Call Spread Strategy: Investors might consider a 290/300 bull call spread, where a breakout above $300 at expiration could yield over 122% maximum profit, indicating that an aggressive trading strategy is rational in the current market environment.
See More
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- Market Rebound: After a volatile week, the S&P 500 showed signs of recovery on Friday, although it still faced losses over the past five trading days, indicating a renewed investor confidence in the economic outlook.
- Inflation Data Impact: The cooler-than-expected January consumer price index contributed to a drop in bond yields and increased expectations for interest rate cuts later this year, further bolstering investor sentiment.
- Eli Lilly's Drug Inventory: Eli Lilly has built up $1.5 billion worth of pre-launch inventory for its GLP-1 obesity pill orforglipron, significantly up from $550 million last year, indicating strong demand expectations from the market.
- Upcoming Earnings Reports: Approximately 50 S&P 500 companies are set to report earnings next week, including Palo Alto Networks and Texas Roadhouse, with the market closely watching these reports for their implications on the broader economy.
See More
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- Market Uncertainty: The stock market faced challenges last week due to unresolved questions affecting investor confidence.
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- Questionable Timing: Congressman John McGuire's rapid buying and selling of Microsoft stock within just 10 days raises concerns about the unusual nature of his trading activities, particularly given his role on the Armed Services Committee, which may present potential conflicts of interest.
- Disclosure Details: The trades were executed by McGuire's spouse through an IRA, with a maximum disclosed trade size of $15,000, suggesting he may not have been directly involved in the transactions, which raises questions about transparency.
- Market Reaction Analysis: Microsoft shares traded between $438.68 and $452.69 at purchase and fell to $426.45 to $439.60 at sale, indicating a potential loss of 5.8%, highlighting the risks associated with his investment decisions.
- Historical Trading Context: Since joining Congress in 2025, McGuire has had minimal trading activity, with previous trades also drawing scrutiny regarding potential conflicts of interest in the healthcare sector, intensifying public scrutiny of his trading behavior.
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- Price Range Analysis: VONE's stock has a 52-week low of $218.75 and a high of $316.38, with the last trade at $314.58, indicating that the stock is nearing its high point, which may attract investor interest.
- Technical Analysis Tool: Comparing the current stock price to the 200-day moving average can provide valuable insights for investors, helping to assess market trends and optimal buying or selling opportunities.
- ETF Trading Mechanism: Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) trade similarly to stocks, where investors buy and sell 'units' that can be created or destroyed based on investor demand, impacting the underlying holdings of the ETF.
- Inflows and Outflows Monitoring: Weekly monitoring of changes in shares outstanding for ETFs helps identify significant inflows (new units created) or outflows (old units destroyed), which can affect the performance of individual stocks held within the ETFs.
See More
Income Investors Face Choices Amid Rising Treasury Yields
- UnitedHealth Membership Loss: The company anticipates losing up to 2.8 million members due to rising medical costs, resulting in a 20% drop in stock price following its Q4 earnings release, reflecting market concerns over profitability.
- Ryman's Performance Decline: Ryman Hospitality Properties reported a 15.5% drop in adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per unit in Q3, primarily due to planned renovations and an increase in short-term cancellations, although bookings are up nearly 8% this year.
- ONEOK's Significant Earnings Growth: ONEOK's adjusted EBITDA surged 37% year-over-year to $2.1 billion in Q3, driven by contributions from EnLink and Medallion assets, showcasing its enhanced integration capabilities.
- Dividend Safety Analysis: Despite ongoing uncertainties, UnitedHealth's 3.2% dividend remains secure, with last year's free cash flow reaching $16 billion, nearly double the dividend payout, indicating strong financial health.
See More
