--- title: "Morgan Stanley, KeyBanc Raise UNH Stock Price Targets after Strong Q2 Beat" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/293038513.md" description: "UnitedHealth (UNH) reported a strong Q2 earnings beat of $6.38 per share, driven by lower medical costs, and raised its fiscal 2026 guidance. Following the results, Morgan Stanley and KeyBanc analysts raised their price targets to $529 and $500 respectively, reiterating Buy ratings. The upgrades reflect confidence in management's strategy and improved visibility for future earnings growth." datetime: "2026-07-17T12:35:21.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/293038513.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/293038513.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/293038513.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Morgan Stanley, KeyBanc Raise UNH Stock Price Targets after Strong Q2 Beat UnitedHealth (UNH) delivered a strong second-quarter earnings beat and raised its fiscal 2026 guidance. Following the results, analysts at KeyBanc and Morgan Stanley raised their price targets, while reiterating Buy ratings on the stock. ### TipRanks Welcomes a New ETF – NYSE:RANK - TipRanks has entered a new arena in the investing world, powering the index of an ETF based on its unique data now trading under the ticker RANK on the NYSE. - RANK tracks the performance of the TipRanks US Momentum Analysts Index, a rules-based index of 50 large U.S. companies. UNH reported second-quarter earnings of $6.38 per share, easily beating analysts' estimate of $4.90. The results were driven by lower-than-expected medical costs, with the medical cost ratio improving to 86.7% versus expectations of 88.5%. The company also raised its 2026 EPS guidance to $19.50-$20.00 and increased its cash flow forecast to about $24 billion. ## **Analysts Hike Price Targets; See $30 in EPS** KeyBanc's Matthew Gillmor raised his price target on UNH from $475 to $500, which implies 18.1% upside potential from current levels. He said the company's Q2 results exceeded expectations, driven by lower medical costs and strong performance at Optum Health. Gillmor also noted the stock's muted reaction despite the solid EPS beat, attributing it to elevated investor expectations and concerns over rising commercial healthcare costs. He added that UnitedHealth can adjust pricing in its commercial business more quickly than government plans, which supports faster earnings growth. He believes these positives should help UnitedHealth reach about $30 in annual EPS sooner than previously expected. Morgan Stanley five-star analyst Erin Wright also lifted her price target from $468 to a new Street-high of $529, implying 24.9% upside. She said the better-than-expected results and higher 2026 guidance reinforced confidence in management's disciplined strategy. Wright believes the strong quarter provides a solid foundation for continued earnings growth over the coming years. She also named UnitedHealth her "Top Pick," saying the results improved visibility into the second half of the year while highlighting stronger performance in the Medicare Advantage and Optum Health businesses. However, she noted that rising healthcare costs in the commercial insurance business remain a risk. ## **Is UNH a Good Stock to Buy Now?** Despite the stock's nearly 30% year-to-date rally, Wall Street remains bullish. On TipRanks, UNH has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 19 Buys and four Hold ratings. The average UnitedHealth price target of $443.41 implies 4.7% upside potential from current levels. 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