Here's Why UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Gained But Lagged the Market Today

Company Overview - UnitedHealth Group (UNH) closed at $496.22, with a daily increase of +0.25%, underperforming the S&P 500's gain of 0.27% [1] - Over the past month, UNH shares have decreased by 3.27%, lagging behind the Medical sector's gain of 2.89% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.85% [1] Upcoming Earnings - Analysts expect UnitedHealth Group to report earnings of $6.70 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 9.12% [1] - The consensus estimate for revenue is $98.92 billion, indicating a 6.48% increase from the same quarter last year [1] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $27.57 per share and revenue at $398.24 billion, showing increases of +9.75% and +7.16% respectively from the previous year [2] Analyst Estimates and Market Sentiment - Recent changes to analyst estimates indicate evolving short-term business trends, with positive revisions reflecting optimism about the company's profitability [2] - The Zacks Rank system currently rates UnitedHealth Group at 3 (Hold), with a consensus EPS projection that has decreased by 0.1% in the past 30 days [3] Valuation Metrics - UnitedHealth Group has a Forward P/E ratio of 17.95, which is a premium compared to the industry's average Forward P/E of 15.86 [3] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.44, compared to the Medical - HMOs industry's average PEG ratio of 1.24 [3] Industry Context - The Medical - HMOs industry is part of the Medical sector and holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 69, placing it in the top 28% of over 250 industries [4] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [4]