Zacks Research Has Negative Forecast for UNH Q2 Earnings

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q2 2027 EPS estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, May 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings of $5.15 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $5.27. 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 2027 earnings at $4.57 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.92 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $20.52 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $6.41 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $22.75 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. 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 report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $375.00 to $395.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $311.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. HSBC raised UnitedHealth Group from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $405.00 to $411.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given 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 $381.48.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of UNH opened at $389.19 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $404.15. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $320.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $318.59. 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 $353.44 billion, a PE ratio of 29.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during 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%. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Western Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 61.3% in the first quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,769 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $3,726,000 after buying an additional 5,232 shares in the last quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1,605.9% in the 1st quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 34,271 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $9,273,000 after purchasing an additional 32,262 shares in the last quarter. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 3.6% during the first quarter. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $364,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 21.8% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,713,684 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $3,169,606,000 after purchasing an additional 2,097,859 shares during the period. Finally, Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $248,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. This represents a 4.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.77%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Berkshire’s exit may be more about portfolio reshuffling under Greg Abel than a clear change in UnitedHealth’s fundamentals, so the selloff could be sentiment-driven rather than purely operational. Reuters: UnitedHealth falls after Berkshire sells stake in health insurer
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 earnings estimate for UNH to $6.87 per share from $6.77, signaling some analyst confidence ahead of future results. Zacks: UnitedHealth Under the Microscope After Berkshire Pulls the Plug
• Neutral Sentiment: A proposed bill focused on HSA expansion, price transparency, and prescription-drug access could affect managed-care economics over time, but it is still early-stage and not an immediate catalyst. Quiver Quantitative: New Bill H.R. 8324
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports also highlight UNH’s recent weakness tied to rising medical costs and unfavorable member mix, reinforcing investor concerns that margins may remain pressured. Yahoo Finance: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Fell 33% as Rising Medical Costs and Member Mix Pressured 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.