NYSE UNH

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

Healthcare · Healthcare Plans

Market cap$367.098B
P/E ratio26.31
Earnings / share15.55
Dividend yield2.22%
Beta0.62
Employees390,000

Company overview

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) at a glance

The week in numbers

$4.69
Adjusted quarterly EPS

Reported EPS exceeded consensus by 57 cents.

TIKR reported third-quarter adjusted EPS that exceeded cited consensus.

Source report
88.4%
Medical loss ratio

Reported ratio was below the cited 89.9% expectation.

TIKR reported the third-quarter medical loss ratio versus Street expectations.

Source report
at least $20.50
Adjusted EPS outlook

Management raised guidance from the previously stated range.

Management raised its 2026 adjusted earnings-per-share outlook, according to TIKR.

Source report
$735M
Optum Health operating earnings

Reported operating earnings rose from $41 million year earlier.

TIKR reported Optum Health third-quarter operating earnings after a prior-year comparison.

Source report
Sector
Healthcare
Headquarters
1 Health Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, United States
Chief executive
Stephen J. Hemsley
Employees
390,000
Founded
Jan 1977
Exchange
NYSE
Industry
Healthcare Plans
Country
United States
Trading currency
USD
Official website
unitedhealthgroup.com
Company Overview
Read company overview

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a healthcare company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded in January 1977, it operates in the United States and internationally. The company has 390,000 employees and is led by Chief Executive Officer Stephen J. Hemsley. Its activities combine health benefits offerings with healthcare and pharmacy-related services.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and related services for employers, small businesses and individual consumers. Its offerings also include Medicaid plans and services connected with federal, state and community healthcare programs, including coverage for economically disadvantaged and medically underserved populations and people without employer-funded coverage.

Under the Optum businesses, UnitedHealth Group provides care delivery, care management, wellness, consumer engagement and health financial services. It also supplies software, information products, consulting and managed services to healthcare organizations, and provides pharmacy care programs spanning retail networks, home delivery, specialty and community pharmacy services, infusion, purchasing, formulary management, medication adherence and therapy management.

Ownership & major shareholders

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated shares trade on NYSE under UNH. A verified breakdown of major shareholders is not included in this profile.

The week in perspective

Weekly briefing

This week’s coverage centers on a stronger reported quarter and higher adjusted-EPS outlook, supported by cost-ratio improvement and Optum profitability. However, revenue and membership declines, elevated commercial-care costs, and Medicare policy exposure mean the coverage does not establish a durable operating recovery.

News balance

6 Mixed

Positive signals

Positive signals include reported adjusted EPS of $4.69, an 88.4% medical care ratio, and management’s adjusted 2026 EPS outlook of at least $20.50. TIKR reported a substantial Optum Health profit improvement and lower operating costs; if these trends persist without relying on reserve releases, margins and earnings capacity could strengthen.

Risks to watch

Material risks remain: commercial medical costs were reported above management’s earlier expectations, enrollment declined, and a favorable reserve release aided quarterly profit. Trefis also flags Medicare Advantage membership and reimbursement-policy uncertainty. Publisher analyses and analyst estimates are not verified company outcomes, while several reports emphasize valuation or share-price performance rather than operations.

Developments worth following

Latest news

Company Review
Source report

Raised outlook prompts competing valuation views

Simply Wall St highlighted higher adjusted-EPS guidance following stronger third-quarter results and described lower relative earnings multiples. Its community narratives differed, citing potential technology efficiency gains versus regulatory and Optum-growth concerns.

If execution, automation initiatives, and margins improve as discussed, earnings durability could be supported; slower Optum growth or increased regulation could instead constrain profitability and valuation assumptions.

Read source

TIKR

Quarterly beat supports higher earnings outlook

TIKR reported third-quarter adjusted EPS above consensus, a medical loss ratio below expectations, and management’s higher 2026 adjusted-EPS outlook. It also noted diverging analyst target changes and concerns around future Medicare Advantage payment rules.

The earnings beat and higher outlook may indicate improving cost management, but future earnings estimates remain exposed to Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes and policy-related uncertainty.

Read source

TIKR

Operating profit rises despite revenue and enrollment pressure

TIKR reported higher third-quarter operating earnings, partly aided by a favorable reserve release, alongside lower revenue and a lower operating margin than the prior-year quarter. It also reported a modest sequential decline in UnitedHealthcare membership.

If margin recovery continues without one-off reserve benefits and membership stabilizes, operating earnings could improve; continued member losses or high medical costs could limit that recovery.

Read source

Trefis

Commercial costs challenge Medicare recovery narrative

Trefis reported that management sees Medicare margins recovering, while commercial-plan costs exceed its earlier expectation. The report said pricing and benefit actions were expected to reduce Medicare Advantage membership and that fuller 2027 guidance was pending.

Sustained Medicare margin recovery could support earnings, but persistent commercial cost pressure, membership contraction, and planned investment could delay progress toward targeted margins.

Read source

TIKR

Optum profit improvement offsets shrinking operations

TIKR reported improved third-quarter adjusted EPS, medical-cost and operating-cost ratios, with Optum operating earnings rising. It also reported lower total revenue, shrinking membership and scripts, and a $610 million favorable reserve release.

Optum’s reported profit improvement and expense discipline could lift consolidated profitability if repeatable, but lower revenue, enrollment reductions, and nonrecurring reserve benefits temper confidence in recurring earnings.

Read source

Zacks

Consensus estimates rise after reported quarterly beat

Zacks reported that consensus earnings estimates increased for the current quarter and fiscal periods. It also cited reported quarterly revenue slightly below the prior year, while reported EPS rose sharply and exceeded the cited consensus expectation.

Higher consensus estimates may reflect expectations of improved earnings, but modest projected sales growth and the reported revenue decline leave the durability of profit expansion uncertain.

Read source

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