UnitedHealth sees a longtime bull throw in the towel after stock’s plunge

The Ratings Game

Raymond James reluctantly double-downgrades the insurer’s stock after the selloff, saying the outlook is just too uncertain to stay bullish

Last Updated: May 14, 2025 at 9:49 p.m. ET
First Published: May 14, 2025 at 2:46 p.m. ET

UnitedHealth Group Inc. gave some analysts no choice but to abandon their bullish calls after a suspended full-year financial outlook, coupled with an abrupt leadership change, sent the insurer’s stock sinking to multiyear lows.

Raymond James’s John Ransom went as far as cutting his rating on the stock by two notches. While he wasn’t surprised that a new chief executive was named given the company’s recent issues, he was basically shocked that the guidance was dropped just a month after a big downward revision.