Does UnitedHealth Stock Have More Upside After Q3 Earnings?

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group's stock has not experienced the anticipated post-earnings rally, but there are signs of operational stabilization [1] - The company reported mixed Q3 results, with adjusted earnings exceeding expectations but sales slightly missing estimates [3][4] - UnitedHealth raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance, indicating a more optimistic outlook [6] Financial Performance - Q3 adjusted earnings were $2.92 per share, surpassing expectations of $2.75, but down from $7.15 in the same quarter last year [3] - Q3 sales reached $113.16 billion, a 12% increase from $100.82 billion a year ago, but slightly below estimates of $113.35 billion [4] - The company has raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to at least $16.25, above the previous floor of $16.00 and the Zacks Consensus of $16.15 [6] Leadership and Future Outlook - CEO Stephen Hemsley highlighted solid earnings growth prospects for 2026 and beyond, despite warnings of potential membership losses in Medicare Advantage and ACA plans [8] - Annual EPS is projected to rebound to $17.39 in fiscal 2026 according to Zacks' estimates [8] Valuation and Dividend - UnitedHealth's stock trades at a forward earnings multiple of 22.7X, slightly below the S&P 500 benchmark and the industry average of 18X [10] - The company offers a 2.4% annual dividend yield, which is higher than the benchmark's 1.07% and the industry average of 2.11% [11] - UnitedHealth has a history of raising dividends for at least 25 consecutive years, with a 12.91% annualized dividend growth rate over the last five years [12][14]