The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, CEO of health insurer UnitedHealth (UNH), has drawn attention to a chilling message that was found on the gunman’s ammunition – “deny, defend, and depose.” According to The Associated Press, these words echo the phrase “delay, deny, defend” that is often used to criticize insurance companies for avoiding payouts. While police haven’t confirmed a connection, the message has reignited anger over the challenges Americans face with the healthcare system.
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UnitedHealth, one of the biggest U.S. insurers, has been criticized for practices like prior authorizations and claim denials, which critics argue delay or complicate care. A recent Senate report highlighted that denial rates are rising for Medicare Advantage patients, which is fueling frustrations. Unsurprisingly, insurers argue these measures help control costs, but many patients feel they create harmful delays, especially for costly treatments like Alzheimer’s and weight-loss drugs.
Americans are growing increasingly frustrated with insurance companies. Indeed, a KFF poll showed two-thirds blame insurers for high healthcare costs. While many say their coverage is good overall, most report problems like denied claims or issues with finding providers. Nearly half of those who face issues say they struggle to resolve them, which highlights the growing dissatisfaction with health insurance.
UNH Gets a Price Target Increase
Despite the shooting, investment firm Stephens, led by five-star analyst Scott Fidel, increased its price target for UnitedHealth from $605 to $675 while maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock. This came after updating estimates and reviewing the detailed 2025 guidance shared before the company’s investor conference was tragically overshadowed by the murder of Brian Thompson.
The firm noted that the “managed care investment community is shocked and saddened” by the incident and had expected the event to celebrate UnitedHealth’s remarkable growth and success over the last 25 years.
Is UNH Stock a Buy?
Overall, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on UNH stock based on 18 Buys, one Hold, and zero Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After an 8% rally in its share price over the past year, the average UNH price target of $624.63 per share implies 6.8% upside potential.
