Absolutely, here’s the rewritten article:
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Okay, so here’s the scoop on UnitedHealth. Deutsche Bank says it might just be a steal. George Hill, this analyst dude, is all in with a buy rating and a target of $362. Why? Well, he mentions something about an earnings multiple of 16—whatever that means—and says it’s on the low side of the stock’s ten-year thingy. Seriously, Hill thinks shares could jump up like 21.4% from where they were on Thursday. Wild, right?
Hill’s hanging his hat on the idea that even using some bottom-of-the-barrel number, there’s still plenty of upside. He called UnitedHealth a “defensive name” in healthcare, but let’s be real, they’ve been hit with all sorts of nonsense over the years.
This year alone, their shares took a nosedive—41%, ouch! All sorts of stuff going on: CEO took a walk, their annual forecast is on pause, there’s talk about the DOJ poking around for fraud, and medical costs are up in the clouds. Not exactly smooth sailing.
Hill talks about regulatory issues and says there’s a dark cloud over the managed care scene. Yet, he’s still optimistic, thinking UnitedHealth has some gas left in the tank. Still, he’s like, “Ditch the long-term guidance already! It’s too high compared to everyone else.”
He says there’s room for growth—like 3% to 5%—as those Medicare Advantage plans grow up. But don’t get your hopes too high; acquisitions might be tricky, at best. Add on regulatory hassles, and it feels like a beast of an obstacle course.
So yeah, that’s the mess. Maybe it makes sense to someone. Who knows?
