UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Rises But Trails Market: What Investors Should Know

In the latest market close, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reached $513.67, with a +0.13% movement compared to the previous day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.55%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.06%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 1.24%.The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of UnitedHealth Group in its upcoming release. The company is slated to reveal its earnings on January 16, 2025. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $6.74, marking a 9.42% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $101.91 billion, up 7.92% from the year-ago period.It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for UnitedHealth Group. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.08% lower within the past month. UnitedHealth Group is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.Investors should also note UnitedHealth Group's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 17.14. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 15.15.Investors should also note that UNH has a PEG ratio of 1.39 right now. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Medical - HMOs industry held an average PEG ratio of 0.86.The Medical - HMOs industry is part of the Medical sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 210, placing it within the bottom 17% of over 250 industries.The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks