Barclays Initiates Oscar Health at Underweight, Sees Policy Risks Undermining Margin Goals

Font: Financial Modeling Prep  • Jul 02, 2025

Barclays initiated coverage on Oscar Health (NYSE:OSCR) with an Underweight rating and a $17 price target, warning that emerging policy risks could derail the insurer’s ambitious margin and growth targets outlined at its June 2024 investor day.

Oscar’s new leadership set a goal of achieving over $2.25 EPS by 2027, driven by 500 basis points of margin expansion—split between 70 bps from improved medical loss ratio (MLR) and 400–500 bps from SG&A leverage. However, Barclays highlighted recent policy developments that could pressure these targets, including the expiration of enhanced subsidies, new integrity rules, uncertainty around cost-sharing reduction (CSR) funding, and pharmacy tariffs.

The analysts noted shares have surged more than 50% in June on speculative retail buying, creating asymmetric downside risk given the disconnect with fundamentals. Barclays’ 2027 EPS estimate of $1.28 is 25% below consensus, reflecting skepticism that Oscar can deliver on its aggressive profitability plan in the face of these headwinds.

The Underweight rating reflects Barclays’ view that current valuations do not adequately account for the mounting regulatory and reimbursement uncertainties that could impact Oscar’s path to sustainable earnings growth.