Zacks Research Has Positive Forecast for UNH Q1 Earnings

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued on Tuesday, February 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings of $6.77 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $5.67. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $29.54 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s Q4 2026 earnings at $2.82 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $17.81 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.30 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $19.90 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on UNH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut UnitedHealth Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays decreased 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. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an “outperform” 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 given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $372.13.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $278.75 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $252.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.13, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.82. 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 of $322.64 and a 200-day moving average of $323.07.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.81 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Canopy Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Canopy Partners LLC now owns 3,791 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,252,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth about $942,000. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 150,773 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $49,772,000 after acquiring an additional 3,934 shares during the period. Mill Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Mill Capital Management LLC now owns 60,275 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $19,897,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 28.6% during the 4th quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 1,294,266 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $427,250,000 after purchasing an additional 287,590 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised several near-term quarterly EPS forecasts (Q1 2027, Q2 2026 and Q2 2027), highlighting pockets of stronger short‑term earnings momentum that may support near-term valuation. MarketBeat UNH
• Positive Sentiment: Despite the revenue/guidance pullback, analysts note robust cash generation — operating cash flow near $18B and strong levered free cash flow — which supports liquidity, capital return potential and longer‑term recovery prospects. UnitedHealth: After The Collapse
• Neutral Sentiment: News roundups (earnings recap) summarize the core moves: slight EPS beat, revenue short of estimates, and management’s downward 2026 revenue guide — useful context but largely repetitive of primary reports. Yahoo: Here’s What Happened to UnitedHealth Group
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho cut its price target to $350 (from $430) after Q4 results, signaling reduced medium‑term upside even though the firm kept an Outperform rating — a clear drag on sentiment and analyst‑driven demand. Mizuho Lowers UNH Target
• Negative Sentiment: Management trimmed 2026 revenue guidance to $439B (from $448B), the company’s first annual decline in decades — this fuels near‑term concern about Medicare Advantage headwinds and margin normalization. UnitedHealth: After The Collapse
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also cut some future-quarter EPS forecasts (notably Q3 2026 and Q4 2027) and projects a lower FY2028 EPS, reflecting lingering uncertainty in revenue/margin recovery that could pressure medium‑term estimates. MarketBeat UNH
• Negative Sentiment: Social and market commentary highlight the earnings reaction — revenue miss, Medicare Advantage worries and cyberattack aftereffects — which drove heavy selling in immediate post‑earnings sessions and keeps near‑term volatility elevated. QuiverQuant Opinions

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.