Zacks Research Research Analysts Reduce Earnings Estimates for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) – Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report released on Thursday, June 27th. Zacks Research analyst D. Chatterjee now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings of $6.68 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $6.75. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $27.55 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s Q4 2024 earnings at $6.71 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $7.22 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $7.32 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $8.25 EPS and Q1 2026 earnings at $8.40 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.63 by $0.28. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 26.50% and a net margin of 4.05%. The business had revenue of $99.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.26 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on UNH. HSBC upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $580.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $596.00 to $555.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $600.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $545.00 to $562.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $675.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, March 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $579.74.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of UNH stock opened at $509.26 on Monday. UnitedHealth Group has a twelve month low of $436.38 and a twelve month high of $554.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $468.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.58. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $498.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $501.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Institutional Trading of UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bright Futures Wealth Management LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the first quarter worth about $496,000. IMS Capital Management boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 2.4% during the first quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 3,732 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,846,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Jackson Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 4.7% during the first quarter. Jackson Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,822 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $7,827,000 after purchasing an additional 714 shares in the last quarter. American Trust boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 4.5% during the first quarter. American Trust now owns 17,474 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $8,644,000 after purchasing an additional 749 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cypress Asset Management Inc. TX boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 1.1% during the first quarter. Cypress Asset Management Inc. TX now owns 10,118 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $5,089,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 17th were paid a $2.10 dividend. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.88. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 17th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.65%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 51.34%.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.