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Raymond James upgraded UnitedHealth Group to Outperform from Market Perform with a $330 price target, citing greater expense upside than Wall Street expects. The firm highlighted margin expansion potential at Optum Health and conservative 2026 guidance that provides room for earnings growth. UnitedHealth shares have fallen 47% over the past year to around $272, creating what Raymond James views as a contrarian entry point. The company is exiting unprofitable contracts, reducing membership by 2.3 to 2.8 million people, and guiding towards $24 billion in operating earnings with a 5.5% operating margin in 2026, up from $18.96 billion in 2025. The upgrade centres on Optum Health's restructuring, with management projecting 9% operating earnings growth and 30 basis points of margin expansion in 2026.

Ninth Circuit to decide if UnitedHealth keeps its preemption "get-out-of-jail-free" Card - GJLaw. GlobeNewswire | GJLaw Today at 2:02pm PDT LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - In a closely watched UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage fraud case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will soon decide whether United - the nation's largest for-profit Medicare Advantage provider - can continue to evade liability under a controversial and sweeping "preemption" defense. At issue is a national class action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 8:23-cv-02303), Estate of Bibi Ahmad v. UnitedHealth Group Inc., alleging that UnitedHealth used misleading advertising and deceptive sales tactics to push vulnerable seniors into abandoning Original Medicare for corporate-run Medicare Advantage plans. The suit alleges that the plans were structured not to expand care, but to cut costs and deny critical treatment. In a ruling dismissing the case on preemption grounds, U.S. District Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani nonetheless emphasized the severity of the claims: "This Court does not minimize the seriousness of the allegations in the Complaint or the grave issues in addressing vulnerable populations' access to healthcare." The appeal explains that dismissal was improper, particularly in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 ruling overturning the Chevron doctrine. "With Chevron gone, courts are no longer required to defer to CMS regulations that override consumer protections granted by Congress," said lead counsel Gloria Juarez. "The Medicare Act has never expressly preempted state law protections. Preemption has become a get-out-of-jail-free card for gorilla-sized healthcare corporations - especially in elder abuse and fraud contexts." The suit asserts that UnitedHealth ran a decade-long campaign of fraud, using emails, direct marketing, and advertising to misrepresent that its Medicare Advantage plans were just an extension of Original Medicare, when in fact seniors were required to surrender their Medicare entirely. One such senior, 96-year-old cancer patient D.D., was misled into switching plans and subsequently denied access to her long-time cancer doctors. Her treatment was delayed, she was sued by providers, and UnitedHealthcare denied her claims while reporting her enrollment for CMS bonuses. The complaint brings claims under California's False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumers Legal Remedies Act. "We are fighting not just for accountability for what happened to Ms. Ahmad, D.D., and G.L., but to protect other families from unknowingly giving up their Medicare benefits through slick sales pitches and corporate greed," Juarez said. "Seniors are being driven into bankruptcy while UnitedHealth posted over $22 billion in profits in 2023." The Ninth Circuit appeal is expected to address whether UnitedHealth's reliance on CMS regulatory preemption can shield it from state law liability in light of post-Chevron judicial authority. Plaintiffs seek reinstatement of their claims and class certification, alleging that hundreds of thousands of seniors were affected across the country. Law Offices of Gloria Juarez Gloria Juarez, Esq. Email: [email protected] Telephone: 949-288-3402 This is a paid placement. For further inquiries, please contact GlobeNewswire directly.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) launches AI companion Avery. Faheem Tahir UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is included in its list of the best stocks to buy for financial stability. On March 26, 2026, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) announced the launch of Avery, designed to simplify benefits navigation, appointment scheduling, cost estimates, claims status, provider search, and other administrative tasks. The move reflects the company's use of generative AI in a customer-facing capacity rather than limiting it to back-office automation. Avery's rollout begins at scale, with the AI companion already available to approximately 6.5 million employer-sponsored members and 160,000 Medicare Advantage members. Furthermore, management projects 20.5 million commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid members by the end of 2026. The launch is expected to improve UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)'s operating leverage and consumer retention, with management claiming that roughly 90% of Avery interactions require no need for advocate assistance. Furthermore, the tool could improve service quality and long-term economics by combining benefits, claims, and provider data into one experience. Dan Kueter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare's commercial business, said the following: "People want health care to be easier to use and tailored to their personal needs. Avery is one way we are responding to consumer demand for a more coordinated and simpler experience and enabling our members to focus on what matters most: getting and staying well." UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), a diversified healthcare company, spans insurance, care delivery, pharmacy benefits, software, and analytics. Its UnitedHealthcare and Optum franchises support coordinated care, cost management, and data-driven services. While Penneco Pipeline Corp. acknowledge the potential of UNH as an investment, Penneco Pipeline Corp. believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see its free report on the best short-term AI stock.