What is Erste Group Bank’s Forecast for UNH FY2026 Earnings?

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 17th, 2026

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2026 EPS estimates for UnitedHealth Group in a research report issued on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings per share of $18.33 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $18.30. Erste Group Bank has a “Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group’s current full-year earnings is $18.39 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Group’s FY2027 earnings at $20.87 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.87 by $1.51. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The company had revenue of $112.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.08 EPS. UnitedHealth Group’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.500-20.000 EPS.

UNH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Leerink Partners upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Zacks Research upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday. UBS Group lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $438.92.

Read Our Latest Research Report on UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of UNH opened at $423.27 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $384.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group has a 12-month low of $234.60 and a 12-month high of $461.62. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $403.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $341.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $2.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This is an increase from UnitedHealth Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. This represents a $9.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio is 70.09%.

Insider Transactions at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,320,775. The trade was a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.28% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 176.2% during the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in UnitedHealth Group by 137.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $2,033,000 after purchasing an additional 2,324 shares during the period. CMT Capital Markets Trading GmbH acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $340,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at $356,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $377,000. 87.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More UnitedHealth Group News

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

Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s Q2 results beat expectations on both earnings and revenue, driven by better cost control and stronger performance at Optum. UnitedHealth Group Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 profit guidance and said it is on track for at least $5 billion in share repurchases this year, signaling confidence in cash generation. UnitedHealth raises 2026 forecast as it controls medical costs
Positive Sentiment: Management said the turnaround is gaining momentum, which boosted optimism that earnings recovery could continue into the second half of the year. UnitedHealth blows past estimates, hikes earnings outlook as it reins in costs
Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised UNH to Neutral and increased its price target, reflecting a more balanced view after the rally. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Rating Increased to Neutral at Robert W. Baird
Negative Sentiment: Some commentary cautioned that elevated medical-cost pressures still remain a risk for managed-care peers and for UNH’s margin outlook. Why Elevance Earnings Gave Health Insurance Stocks A Cold; UNH Up Next

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.