UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Up 4% After Earnings Beat

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) shares rose 4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $294.94 and last traded at $294.0820. Approximately 23,208,502 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 103% from the average daily volume of 11,418,140 shares. The stock had previously closed at $282.70.

The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.81 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.14%.

Key UnitedHealth Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several major firms trimmed price targets but kept bullish ratings (buy/outperform), which helps stem the panic and supports a bounce as investors consider the pullback a buying opportunity. Analyst target changes
• Positive Sentiment: Media and retail-investor coverage framing the sell-off as a buy-the-dip moment (contrarian pieces and “bounce back” stories) is drawing short-term buying interest. Why UnitedHealth Group Stock Just Bounced Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results: UNH slightly beat EPS (driven by Optum Rx and other segments) but missed revenue by a small margin; management reiterated turnaround actions and provided FY2026 EPS guidance. This mixed fundamental print is keeping longer‑term investors evaluating the recovery timeline. Company press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Company guidance and commentary: Reuters and others note management expects 2026 adjusted profit roughly in line with or slightly above estimates while pursuing cost controls — a mixed signal for revenue growth vs. margin improvement. Reuters profit outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory shock: a Trump administration/CMS proposal to keep Medicare Advantage payments much lower than expected triggered the initial sharp sell-off — this directly pressures UNH’s Medicare business and drove the large multi‑day decline. Medicare rates story
• Negative Sentiment: Soft 2026 revenue guidance and one‑time charges: management flagged a roughly 2% revenue decline for 2026 (first in decades) and absorbed a ~$1.6B restructuring hit, which undermines near‑term earnings power and prompted analyst target cuts. Forbes analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Political scrutiny / insider trades: reports that some politicians sold UNH ahead of the crash have added reputational and regulatory uncertainty, intensifying the sell pressure while the story unfolds. Politician trades

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday. Zacks Research raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $380.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,033,000 after acquiring an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $340,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 14.6% during the 2nd quarter. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 799 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Liberty Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 5.2% in the second quarter. Liberty Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,780 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,611,000 after acquiring an additional 726 shares in the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Up 4.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.79. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $331.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $323.60. The firm has a market cap of $266.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.42.

About UnitedHealth Group

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.