UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $1.51 EPS

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jul 16th, 2026

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.87 by $1.51, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $112.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.UnitedHealth Group’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.08 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group updated its FY 2026 guidance to 19.500-20.000 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $417.33 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $402.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $341.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $378.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.52, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group has a 52 week low of $234.60 and a 52 week high of $434.30.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $2.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 70.09%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth beat Q2 expectations, reporting EPS of $6.38 versus estimates around $4.87-$4.94 and revenue of $112.03 billion, topping forecasts. UnitedHealth Group Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $19.50-$20.00, above prior outlook and Wall Street expectations, signaling improving profitability. UnitedHealth Group Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth said medical costs are easing and Optum operating income is improving, which supports the turnaround thesis and helps explain the stock’s premarket strength. Reuters article on higher forecast
Positive Sentiment: The company also said it remains on track to repurchase at least $5 billion of stock in 2026, adding another shareholder-return tailwind. RTT News article on strong profit and outlook
Neutral Sentiment: Broader market headlines noted weakness in the AI trade and mixed futures, but UNH’s move appears driven mainly by its own earnings beat and guidance increase rather than sector-wide momentum. Nasdaq Futures Fall as AI Trade Loses Steam

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $284,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 17,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,033,000 after acquiring an additional 2,324 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 44,249 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $22,384,000 after purchasing an additional 28,231 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $112,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $114,000. Institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on UNH shares. Erste Group Bank raised UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $397.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $337.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $429.50.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on UnitedHealth Group

About UnitedHealth Group

(Get Free Report)

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.