FY2027 Earnings Estimate for UNH Issued By Erste Group Bank

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Research analysts at Erste Group Bank lifted their FY2027 EPS estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report issued on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the healthcare conglomerate will earn $19.88 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $19.77. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $29.54 per share.

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

UNH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $425.00 to $389.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Truist Financial lowered their price objective 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 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Leerink Partners lowered their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $345.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $363.42.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 0.5%

UNH opened at $306.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $282.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $318.95. The company has a market cap of $278.02 billion, a PE ratio of 23.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.40. 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 quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 67.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth $1,059,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth $1,572,193,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.2% during the third quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 105,621 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $36,471,000 after purchasing an additional 2,316 shares during the last quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 111.5% in the third quarter. Phoenix Financial Ltd. now owns 41,986 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $14,282,000 after buying an additional 22,137 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp lifted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 59.1% in the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 12,380 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $4,275,000 after buying an additional 4,600 shares during the last quarter. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: CMS raised 2027 Medicare Advantage payments by ~2.48%, a surprise above street expectations — this directly improves UnitedHealth’s revenue and margin outlook for Medicare Advantage and triggered a broad relief rally across managed-care names. UnitedHealth Rockets 11%, Humana Climbs 9% as Medicare Advantage Rate Decision Crushes Regulatory Fears
• Positive Sentiment: Several sell-side analysts raised price targets and upgraded UNH after the CMS decision (example: BofA and Sanford C. Bernstein moves), contributing to the near-term re-rating and higher trading volume. UnitedHealth Price Target Raised to $337 by BofA After Medicare Advantage Rate Finalization
• Positive Sentiment: Street research and note-writers are quantifying meaningful upside from the CMS move (several pieces estimate billions in incremental revenue/operating profit and reduced downside risk), which supports expectations for margin recovery driven by UnitedHealth’s scale and Optum capabilities. UnitedHealth Could Reprice Soon: The Catalyst Is Here
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street remains broadly constructive on UNH: ~75% of covering analysts rate the stock bullishly with a consensus target around $355, and UNH is highlighted among hedge-fund favorites — that supports medium-term investor interest but already implies some upside is priced in. Analysts Remain Confident in UnitedHealth (UNH)’s Growth Initiatives Outside of Its Main Insurance Operations
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamental context: UnitedHealth beat Q4/most-recent EPS estimates and provided FY-level guidance, which underpinned confidence before the CMS news — but consensus EPS forecasts remain materially higher than some boutique analyst raises. UnitedHealth Stock Jumps on Better-Than-Expected Medicare Advantage Rates. Here’s Why the Rally Might Be Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Caution: commentators warn the Medicare tailwind may be partially priced in after the large one-day rally and the stock faces near-term catalysts (upcoming quarterly results) that could reintroduce volatility if guidance or cost trends disappoint. UnitedHealth Stock Jumps on Better-Than-Expected Medicare Advantage Rates. Here’s Why the Rally Might Be Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Macroeconomic and cost risks remain (medical-cost inflation, optical/claims mix, and broader interest-rate/market moves). Those factors plus profit-taking after the run-up explain why UNH has pulled back from its intraday highs. UnitedHealth (UNH) Soars 9.4%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?

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.