Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of UNH Q2 Earnings

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings of $4.94 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $4.74. 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 Q3 2026 earnings at $3.61 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $18.26 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $6.77 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.27 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.27 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $19.76 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $6.38 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $23.46 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $111.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 last year, the business posted $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS.

UNH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. HSBC raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $361.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings cut UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $395.00 price target (up from $370.00) on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $378.88.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

UnitedHealth Group stock opened at $363.83 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $404.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $300.93 and a 200-day moving average of $316.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $330.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.64.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UNH. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 995,210 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,232,170 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $14,931,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119,834 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,457,723,000 after buying an additional 824,120 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 3.7% during 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 acquiring an additional 680,077 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 18,655,111 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $6,158,734,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155,162 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.77%.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare will eliminate prior-authorization requirements for roughly 30% of services, aiming to cut administrative cost/complexity and speed care for members — a move investors view as operationally constructive. UnitedHealthcare removes prior approval requirements for 30% of healthcare services
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth reported a Q1 earnings beat and raised 2026 guidance, which investors credited for improved profitability and helped lift sentiment. Why UnitedHealth Group Stock Came Roaring Back In April
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs added UNH to its U.S. Conviction List and maintained a $435 price target, signaling confidence in the company’s recovery in Medicare underwriting. Goldman Sachs Names UnitedHealth to Conviction List
• Positive Sentiment: Management is boosting share buybacks, which markets interpret as a signal that leadership views the stock as undervalued and supports EPS. According to These Metrics, UnitedHealth Stock Looks Undervalued
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts warn first-quarter results mask a lag in claims; Q2 will be a clearer test of medical-cost trends, so investors should monitor claims development closely. Major health insurers show signs of recovery – but a key test looms
• Negative Sentiment: Removing prior authorizations could also lift utilization and near-term medical costs; investors should weigh potential savings from lower admin burden against higher claims risk. UnitedHealth to drop preapproval requirements for some services
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder proposal seeking an independent board chair and recent executive moves (e.g., a UNH leader joining Highmark) add governance and talent-transition angles investors may watch. How Investors Are Reacting To UnitedHealth Group Earnings Beat, Guidance Hike and Governance Challenge

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.