Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV) Given New $331.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird

Key Points

• Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Elevance to $331 (from $317) while maintaining a "neutral" rating, implying about a 1.4% upside from the prior close.
• Elevance beat Q1 expectations with $12.58 EPS vs. $10.74 consensus and $49.49B revenue, and management raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance while targeting roughly 12% EPS growth in 2027.
• A law firm, Kirby McInerney, has opened an investigation into potential securities law violations involving Elevance or senior management, posing a near‑term overhang despite the strong results.

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by stock analysts at Robert W. Baird from $317.00 to $331.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird's target price points to a potential upside of 1.43% from the company's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Elevance Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $332.00 price target on shares of Elevance Health in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wolfe Research set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Elevance Health and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Leerink Partners boosted their target price on shares of Elevance Health from $350.00 to $357.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Elevance Health from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and set a $358.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $379.00.

Elevance Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ELV opened at $326.32 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $308.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $331.56. Elevance Health has a one year low of $273.71 and a one year high of $432.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.99, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.49.

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The company reported $12.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $10.74 by $1.84. Elevance Health had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 15.59%. The business had revenue of $49.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $48.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $11.97 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Elevance Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.850- EPS. On average, analysts predict that Elevance Health will post 25.75 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Elevance Health

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Elevance Health by 0.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,998,645 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,431,322,000 after acquiring an additional 141,747 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Elevance Health by 25.2% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,289,976 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,906,051,000 after purchasing an additional 1,668,679 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Elevance Health by 27.5% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,446,185 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,610,261,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,274 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its position in Elevance Health by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 5,032,751 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,764,231,000 after purchasing an additional 455,946 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its position in Elevance Health by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,022,874 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,410,219,000 after purchasing an additional 24,271 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.24% of the company's stock.

Elevance Health News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Elevance Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and management raised full‑year guidance — ELV reported $12.58 EPS (well above consensus) and revenue ahead of expectations; management said results reflect improving claims experience and raised full‑year adjusted EPS guidance. Elevance Health Reports First Quarter 2026 Results; Raises Full-Year Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Management lifted 2026 adjusted EPS outlook and flagged 2027 growth — management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook (Seeking Alpha reports a floor of $26.75) and is targeting ~12% EPS growth in 2027, giving investors clearer earnings runway. Elevance Health raises 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $26.75 while targeting at least 12% EPS growth in 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Margin tailwinds from cost control, AI and stronger investment income — commentary emphasized operating discipline and AI integration as drivers of margin expansion; net investment income rose sharply and helped EPS. ELV Q1 deep dive: Operating discipline and AI integration drive margin expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained/income support — Board declared a $1.72 quarterly dividend (yield ~2.1%), which supports income‑oriented holders and signals confidence in cash flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/press takeaways and valuation focus — Coverage highlights solid top‑/bottom‑line beats but notes mixed elements (membership trends, expense pressure); some writeups look at valuation after the pullback. A Look At Elevance Health (ELV) Valuation As Mixed Q1 2026 Results Draw Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder litigation/SEC‑style investor probe announced — Law firm Kirby McInerney has opened an investigation into possible securities law violations by Elevance or senior management; such probes can lead to litigation, settlements or reputational damage and are a near‑term overhang. ELV INVESTOR ALERT: Kirby McInerney LLP Investigates Potential Claims Involving Elevance Health, Inc.

About Elevance Health

Elevance Health, Inc NYSE: ELV is a large U.S.-based health benefits company that provides a broad range of health insurance products and related services. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the company rebranded from Anthem, Inc to Elevance Health in 2022 while continuing to operate consumer-facing health plans under established state and national brands. Gail Boudreaux serves as chief executive officer and president, leading the company's strategic focus on integrated health care and benefit delivery.

Elevance's core activities include offering medical and specialty health plans for individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid managed-care products.

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