UnitedHealth Lifts EPS Outlook Despite Mixed Q3 Results: ETFs in Focus

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group reported better-than-expected third-quarter 2025 earnings with an adjusted EPS of $2.92, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.2%, but missed revenue expectations by 0.2% [4] - Year-over-year performance showed a decline in earnings by 59.2%, while revenues increased by 12% [4] - The company expects adjusted EPS of at least $16.25 for 2025, up from a previous estimate of $16, and plans to resume share buybacks and strategic acquisitions next year [7] Financial Performance - UnitedHealth's revenues for the third quarter reached $87.1 billion, a 16% increase, while Optum's revenues grew by 8% to $69.2 billion [6] - The company expanded its domestic membership by over 780,000 lives year-to-date, totaling over 50 million members [5] - Cash and short-term investments rose to $30.6 billion from $29.1 billion at the end of 2024, but operating cash flows declined to $18.6 billion from $21.8 billion in the prior year [6] Market Outlook - Investors are encouraged to monitor ETFs with significant exposure to UnitedHealth, including iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF, Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund, iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF, Vanguard Health Care ETF, and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF [2][8][9][11][12][13] - These ETFs have shown positive year-to-date performance, with gains ranging from 6.8% to 8.4% [8][9][11][12][13]