Q1 EPS Forecast for UnitedHealth Group Lifted by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research slightly raised its Q1 2027 EPS estimate for UnitedHealth Group to $6.88 from $6.87 and maintained a Strong-Buy rating on the stock.
• UnitedHealth recently beat expectations in its latest quarterly results, reporting $7.23 EPS and $111.65 billion in revenue, both above analyst estimates.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with several firms lifting price targets and the consensus rating staying at Moderate Buy; the average target is now $429.50.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note issued on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the healthcare conglomerate will earn $6.88 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $6.87. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group's current full-year earnings is $18.32 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group's Q1 2028 earnings at $6.42 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.UnitedHealth Group's revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $453.00 to $468.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $429.50.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UNH stock opened at $425.20 on Wednesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $401.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $340.41. UnitedHealth Group has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $434.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $386.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.62.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Ares Financial Consulting LLC lifted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC now owns 419 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $174,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Kellett Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,746 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $576,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management LLC increased its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Founders Capital Management LLC now owns 982 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $324,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the second quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 2,589 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,076,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Matrix Trust Co raised its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 24.8% during the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 146 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.09%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from hold to strong-buy, adding to bullish momentum before earnings. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial raised its price target on UNH to $480 and kept a buy rating, while KeyCorp lifted its target to $475 with an overweight rating, signaling Wall Street expects more upside. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are positioning for a potentially strong quarterly report, with coverage noting UNH could make fresh highs if earnings and guidance show that cost controls and membership trends are stabilizing. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several previews highlight UNH as a top stock to watch into Q2 results, but the main focus remains on whether management can offset pressure from membership declines and rising medical costs. Zacks article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s AI investment plans and broader healthcare/Medicare Advantage trends are supporting the long-term bull case, but these are more strategic themes than immediate catalysts. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analysis points to risks around upcoming earnings, including concerns about membership declines and chart-based warning signals that could limit upside if results disappoint. Zacks article

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.

UnitedHealthcare is the company's benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.

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