Q1 EPS Forecast for UnitedHealth Group Lifted by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised UnitedHealth Group’s Q1 2027 EPS forecast to $7.12 from $7.05 and maintained a “Strong Buy” rating. The firm also estimates FY2027 and FY2028 EPS of $22.28 and $25.74, respectively.
• UnitedHealth’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $6.38 versus the $4.94 consensus and revenue of $112.03 billion. The company reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of $19.50–$20.00.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $455.92, while institutional investors own 87.86% of the stock. UnitedHealth also declared a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share, equivalent to a 2.4% yield.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2027 earnings estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, August 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings per share of $7.12 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $7.05. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group's current full-year earnings is $19.69 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group's Q2 2027 earnings at $6.35 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $22.28 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $25.74 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.94 by $1.44. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.14% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group's revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. DA Davidson set a $512.00 price target on UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $455.92.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $394.16 on Wednesday. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $415.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $354.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $255.96 and a 1-year high of $461.62. The company has a market cap of $353.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.62.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 4.6% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,863,061 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $31,946,594,000 after purchasing an additional 3,395,530 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $14,931,592,000 after buying an additional 1,119,834 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $7,457,723,000 after purchasing an additional 824,120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,829,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $6,215,660,000 after purchasing an additional 680,077 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total value of $205,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 16,497 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,763,770. The trade was a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be given a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.72%.

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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