UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 17.750- for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 17.700. The company issued revenue guidance of $439.0 billion-, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $456.6 billion.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Down 19.7%

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $282.32 on Wednesday. UnitedHealth Group has a 52-week low of $234.60 and a 52-week high of $606.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $255.74 billion, a PE ratio of 14.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $332.08 and a 200-day moving average of $323.81.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 19.23% and a net margin of 4.04%.The company had revenue of $113.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a $2.21 dividend. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UNH has been the subject of a number of research reports. Evercore ISI raised shares of UnitedHealth Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $286.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $386.33.

Key Headlines Impacting UnitedHealth Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS modestly beat and Optum Rx showed strength — the company reported $2.11 EPS, a slight beat, and management pointed to segment-level performance (Optum Rx) that supported earnings. Zacks: UnitedHealth Q4 Earnings Beat on Strong Optum Rx
• Positive Sentiment: Profit guidance roughly in line / cost-control progress — management forecast adjusted 2026 profit slightly above estimates and emphasized ongoing cost controls as part of its turnaround. Reuters: UnitedHealth forecasts 2026 profit slightly above estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management provided full earnings release and call transcript — useful for assessing assumptions behind guidance and cost initiatives before making a position change. Seeking Alpha: Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and weak 2026 revenue outlook — Q4 revenue ($113.2B) missed estimates and the company guided to ~$439B for 2026 (implying a year‑over‑year decline), a key reason investors sold shares. MSN: UnitedHealth forecasts first revenue drop in nearly four decades
• Negative Sentiment: Medicare-rate proposal shocked insurers — a proposed Trump administration/CMS update that would keep Medicare Advantage payments nearly flat materially worsened the revenue outlook for insurers and amplified the selloff. CNBC: Health insurers tumble after Trump proposes keeping Medicare rates flat
• Negative Sentiment: Large restructuring charge hit near-term results — UnitedHealth took a ~$1.6B charge tied to restructuring as it “right-sizes” Optum and other operations, pressuring Q4 profit and near-term visibility. Forbes: UnitedHealth Takes $1.6 Billion Hit
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction, downgrades and systemic drag — analysts cut ratings/targets and UNH’s drop pulled down the Dow and health-care ETFs, increasing forced selling and volatility risk. Investopedia: What’s Driving the Huge Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/political scrutiny and insider trading questions — reports that lawmakers sold UNH stock ahead of the crash have drawn attention and could add reputational and legal noise. Finbold: Politicians Sold UNH Stock Before Crash

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNH. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the 2nd quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 105 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1,090.9% in the third quarter. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 131 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, Binnacle Investments Inc boosted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 185.8% during the second quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 383 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 249 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.