Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 25.500- for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 26.890. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Elevance Health Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE ELV opened at $346.33 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.54. Elevance Health has a 1 year low of $273.71 and a 1 year high of $458.75. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $351.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $328.99. The firm has a market cap of $76.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.79, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.51.

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The company reported $3.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by $0.23. Elevance Health had a return on equity of 15.59% and a net margin of 2.84%.The company had revenue of $49.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.84 EPS. Elevance Health’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Elevance Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 25.500- EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Elevance Health will post 33.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Elevance Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a $1.72 dividend. This represents a $6.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This is an increase from Elevance Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.71. Elevance Health’s payout ratio is presently 27.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ELV has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group set a $400.00 price target on Elevance Health in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Elevance Health from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $332.00 price target on shares of Elevance Health in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Elevance Health in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $431.00 target price on shares of Elevance Health in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $395.68.

Key Elevance Health News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat expectations — ELV reported $3.33 EPS, topping consensus and showing growth in premiums and Carelon revenue, which helped lift sentiment. Elevance Health (ELV) Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction to the results pushed the stock higher in some sessions — coverage noted a sharp intraday jump tied to the earnings beat. Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV) Stock Price Up 6.3% on Strong Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: quarterly dividend raised to $1.72 (annual yield ~2.0%), a small raise that supports income-oriented investors and signals confidence in cash flow.
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage sentiment is constructive — recent survey shows an average “Moderate Buy” rating, which can underpin buying interest after volatility. Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call highlights show strong operational points (premiums, Carelon growth) but also mixed metrics (membership slip, higher expenses) — results are not a clear-cut upgrade to 2026 profitability. Elevance Health Inc (ELV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Financial Performance Amid …
• Negative Sentiment: Company flagged 2026 profit guidance below Street estimates and warned of a revenue decline next year — this guidance is the main headwind to the stock’s rally. Elevance forecasts 2026 profit below estimates, flags revenue decline
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory pressure: CMS proposed only a 0.09% raise to Medicare Advantage rates for 2027, which exacerbates investor concerns about Medicare-related reimbursement pressure and has contributed to recent selloffs. Health Insurance Stock Could Rebound Off Historically Bullish Signal
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and market write-ups point to persistent margin pressure and membership shifts that may keep earnings upside limited until guidance/Medicare clarity improves. Elevance Health Q4 Earnings Review: No Sign Of An End To The Pain

Institutional Trading of Elevance Health

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ELV. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Elevance Health by 22.9% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,597,488 shares of the company’s stock valued at $839,300,000 after buying an additional 484,303 shares during the period. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Elevance Health by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 2,045,480 shares of the company’s stock worth $660,935,000 after buying an additional 627,038 shares in the last quarter. Baupost Group LLC MA grew its holdings in shares of Elevance Health by 114.1% during the 3rd quarter. Baupost Group LLC MA now owns 1,319,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $426,195,000 after acquiring an additional 703,000 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Elevance Health by 216.3% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 801,268 shares of the company’s stock worth $258,689,000 after acquiring an additional 547,950 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Elevance Health by 100.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 533,439 shares of the company’s stock worth $207,486,000 after acquiring an additional 267,845 shares in the last quarter. 89.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.