Zacks Research Expects Reduced Earnings for Elevance Health

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Jul 30th, 2026

Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV – Free Report) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Elevance Health in a report released on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $4.60 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $5.10. The consensus estimate for Elevance Health’s current full-year earnings is $27.04 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Elevance Health’s Q4 2026 earnings at $2.43 EPS.

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $7.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.21 by $1.24. Elevance Health had a return on equity of 14.64% and a net margin of 2.47%.The company had revenue of $49.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.88 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $8.84 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on ELV. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Elevance Health from $399.00 to $455.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays cut their price target on Elevance Health from $480.00 to $457.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Elevance Health from $439.00 to $424.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings raised Elevance Health from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Elevance Health in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $440.90.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Elevance Health

Elevance Health Stock Down 2.5%

ELV stock opened at $376.21 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $81.59 billion, a PE ratio of 16.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.67. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $397.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $356.66. Elevance Health has a fifty-two week low of $273.71 and a fifty-two week high of $436.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Elevance Health

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WealthCollab LLC lifted its position in Elevance Health by 42.2% in the first quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 91 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Elevance Health during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Elevance Health in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Elevance Health by 120.4% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 108 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA acquired a new stake in shares of Elevance Health in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors own 89.24% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Elevance Health

In other news, Director Robert L. Dixon, Jr. sold 151 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $401.77, for a total value of $60,667.27. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,312,599.18. This represents a 1.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Elevance Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be given a dividend of $1.72 per share. This represents a $6.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. Elevance Health’s payout ratio is 30.58%.

More Elevance Health News

Here are the key news stories impacting Elevance Health this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised most long-term EPS estimates. Zacks Research increased its forecasts for FY2026 EPS to $27.06 from $26.79, FY2027 EPS to $28.83 from $28.51, and FY2028 EPS to $32.49 from $31.77. Estimates were also raised for several 2027–2028 quarters, suggesting improving expectations for Elevance Health’s earnings trajectory.
Positive Sentiment: Insider purchases offer a confidence signal. CEO and chairman share purchases have made Elevance Health a “Pick of the Week” at Smart Insider, potentially supporting sentiment by indicating that company leaders view the stock as undervalued. Elevance Health Pick of the Week at Smart Insider Following CEO, Chairman Share Purchases
Neutral Sentiment: Sector comparisons are influencing investor focus. UnitedHealth Group’s second-quarter results showed improved margins, a lower medical cost ratio, and higher earnings guidance, offering a constructive read-through for managed-care fundamentals but also highlighting competitive differences among health insurers. UnitedHealth Just Gave Wall Street a Clearer Turnaround Signal
Neutral Sentiment: A head-to-head survey comparing Elevance Health with Aeon Global Health provides limited direct earnings information and is unlikely to be a major near-term catalyst. Head to Head Survey: Elevance Health and Aeon Global Health
Negative Sentiment: Elevance Health underperformed its competitors. The relative weakness suggests investors remain cautious about the company’s near-term outlook, particularly medical-cost trends and execution, despite the improved analyst forecasts. Elevance Health Stock Underperforms Wednesday Compared With Competitors
Negative Sentiment: A recent analysis sees upside in ELV but concludes the shares are “not yet a buy,” reflecting valuation or execution concerns that may be limiting enthusiasm. Elevance Health Has Upside, But Not Yet a Buy

Elevance Health Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Elevance Health, Inc (NYSE: ELV) is a large U.S.-based health benefits company that provides a broad range of health insurance products and related services. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the company rebranded from Anthem, Inc to Elevance Health in 2022 while continuing to operate consumer-facing health plans under established state and national brands. Gail Boudreaux serves as chief executive officer and president, leading the company’s strategic focus on integrated health care and benefit delivery.

Elevance’s core activities include offering medical and specialty health plans for individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid managed-care products.