Zacks Research Analysts Lift Earnings Estimates for UNH

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2027 earnings estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report issued on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings per share of $6.88 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.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on UNH. Bank of America upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Leerink Partners boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, HSBC increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $429.50.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 0.9%

UNH stock opened at $425.20 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick 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. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $434.30. The business’s 50 day moving average is $401.79 and its 200-day moving average is $340.41.

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

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 70.09%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about UnitedHealth Group

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

About UnitedHealth Group

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.