Q4 EPS Forecast for UnitedHealth Group Reduced by Analyst

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, May 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will earn $2.47 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $2.82. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $18.29 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s Q4 2027 earnings at $3.46 EPS.

UNH has been the topic of several other reports. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $350.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Argus raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. HSBC raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $378.88.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 0.9%

UNH stock opened at $367.11 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $302.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $316.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. UnitedHealth Group has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $395.52. The firm has a market cap of $333.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.73, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.64.

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

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $4,560,000. Legacy Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Legacy Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,605 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $434,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $7,445,000. ANB Bank increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. ANB Bank now owns 5,054 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,368,000 after buying an additional 458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crescent Grove Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC now owns 1,352 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $366,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.77%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised near‑term and FY‑2026 EPS forecasts (Q2 2026 to $4.94 from $4.74; FY‑2026 to $18.26), signaling stronger near‑term earnings momentum and reinforcing consensus that 2026 will be a recovery year. (Zacks estimate revisions — MarketBeat / summary)
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare will eliminate prior‑authorization requirements for roughly 30% of services starting in 2026 — a large operational change that should reduce administrative friction, improve member/provider experience and potentially lower costs over time. This is being viewed favorably by the market. UnitedHealth Prior Authorization Shift And What It Could Mean For UNH Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs added UNH to its U.S. Conviction List and kept a $435 price target — a high‑profile vote of confidence that likely supports buying interest. Goldman Sachs Names UnitedHealth (UNH) to Conviction List, Keeps $435 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Managerial actions and fundamentals: analysts and commentators point to increased share buybacks and an improved Q1 that lifted guidance — themes that support multiple expansion and investor confidence. Why UnitedHealth Group Stock Came Roaring Back In April
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — peers Tenet (THC) beat Q1 but face payer‑mix pressure, and CVS reported strong Health Benefits results tied to ACA exits/premium actions; these moves can influence industry pricing and utilization dynamics but are not direct UNH fundamentals. THC Beats Q1 Earnings Estimates on Strong Ambulatory Growth, Ups ’26 EPS View CVS Stock Breaks Out On Earnings Due To ACA Exit, Premium Hikes
• Neutral Sentiment: Talent movement: a former UnitedHealth executive, Heather Cianfrocco, was appointed COO at Highmark — notable for industry networking but not currently viewed as material to UNH’s strategy. Highmark Health Appoints Heather Cianfrocco as Chief Operating Officer
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed a few longer‑term quarter/year estimates (small cuts to FY‑2027 and Q1‑2028), which could temper upside expectations for distant‑out periods even as near‑term outlook improved.

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.