Zacks Research Issues Negative Estimate for UNH Earnings

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for UnitedHealth Group in a research note issued on Thursday, March 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the healthcare conglomerate will earn $6.66 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $6.70. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $29.54 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s Q2 2027 earnings at $4.97 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.29 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $19.83 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of UNH stock opened at $269.62 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $295.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $324.10. The firm has a market cap of $244.72 billion, a PE ratio of 20.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.41. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $606.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $113.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,600,260 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $30,238,162,000 after purchasing an additional 995,210 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 1,119,834 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,591,042 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,457,723,000 after acquiring an additional 824,120 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.02%.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several commentary pieces argue current fears are overblown and frame UNH as a long-term buy given its scale, diversified businesses and consistent execution — a view that supports buy-the-dip investors. UnitedHealth Group: Fears Remain Overblown In A Panicky Market
• Positive Sentiment: Retail-investor guidance pieces and The Motley Fool highlight UNH as a healthcare name for long-term investors, arguing recent weakness creates an entry point for patient investors. Have $500? 2 Healthcare Stocks Long-Term Investors Should Buy Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks compares UNH’s steady, diversified model with Centene’s turnaround, saying UNH’s consistency is attractive but upside is constrained by cost and policy risks — a balanced take for investors weighing relative value. The Upside Debate: UnitedHealth’s Consistency vs Centene’s Comeback
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on value-rotation themes lists healthcare/value names as potential beneficiaries of the market shift away from growth; UNH is discussed in the context of being a lower-multiple, large-cap healthcare play. 3 Value Stocks Set to Surge, With Up to 100% Upside by 2028
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and commentary on regulatory challenges are pressuring the stock — stories cite potential regulatory scrutiny and margin risk from policy shifts as tangible near-term headwinds. UnitedHealth (UNH) Stock Faces Pressure from Analyst Downgrades and Regulatory Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes a widening gap between reimbursement rates and medical expenses, a key driver cited for the stock’s YTD decline and for concerns about near-term margin pressure. UnitedHealth Stock Is Down 18% in 2026 and Keeps Stumbling. Should You Buy the Dip Monday?
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst notes and Zacks’ research updates have lowered Q4 and near-term EPS estimates for UNH, increasing downside risk to sentiment until clearer margin trends re-emerge. Q4 EPS Estimate for UnitedHealth Group Decreased by Analyst Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for UNH Earnings

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.