What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for UNH Q4 Earnings?

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q4 2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued on Thursday, March 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the healthcare conglomerate will earn $3.91 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $3.92. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $29.54 per share.

UNH has been the subject of several other research reports. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore raised UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $277.32 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $251.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $606.36. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $297.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $324.16.

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

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 67.02%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 80 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: National expansion of doula benefit could boost member retention, improve maternal outcomes and support UnitedHealthcare’s value‑based care positioning — a revenue/medical‑cost leverage play if it reduces expensive complications and drives plan stickiness. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Announces National Expansion of Doula Offering
• Positive Sentiment: Recent insider activity — including a disclosed senator purchase and broader reports of insider buys and heavy call‑option interest — has attracted bullish attention and could support short‑term demand if it signals perceived undervaluation. UnitedHealth Group Stock Opinions on Senator’s Recent Purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street remains generally positive longer term — multiple recent buy/outperform ratings and a median six‑month price target materially above the current level provide upside if execution continues, but much of that is priced in. Analyst Ratings & Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks trimmed a Q4 2027 EPS forecast very slightly (from $3.92 to $3.91) — a technical downward revision that is unlikely to materially change consensus but contributes to near‑term caution among quant/earnings‑sensitive traders.
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term selling pressure: several market writeups flagged a day where UNH fell more than the broader market, reflecting profit‑taking and risk‑off flows; headlines can amplify intraday moves. UNH Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market (Yahoo) Zacks Market Note MSN Market Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and reputational risks persist — DOJ scrutiny around Medicare Advantage reimbursement and public criticism of executive pay amid claim denials keep a discount risk on the multiple and can pressure sentiment if new developments surface. Regulatory Discussion (QuiverQuant)

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.