UNH - UnitedHealth Pre-Q2 Earnings: Healthy Buy or a Wait-&-See? | Benzinga
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is set to report second-quarter 2024 results on Jul 16, 2024, before the opening bell. Growing premiums, commercial memberships and Optum business are expected to have supported its performance.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings is currently pegged at $6.68 per share, implying solid growth of 8.8% from the year-ago reported number. However, the estimate was revised downward by two analysts in the past month, resulting in a decline of 2 cents from $6.70 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is currently pegged at almost $99 billion, suggesting a 6.5% uptick from the year-ago actuals.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
UnitedHealth has a robust history of surpassing earnings estimates, beating the consensus in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 3.7%
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Q2 Earnings Whispers
Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for the company this time around as well. UNH has an Earnings ESP of +1.06% as the Most Accurate Estimate of $6.76 per share is currently pegged higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.68. Also, it currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 increases the chances of an earnings beat, which is precisely the case here.
Factors Shaping Q2 Results
UnitedHealth's second-quarter earnings are expected to have benefited from higher premiums, driven by the expansion of its commercial membership base. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for premium revenues for the second quarter indicates 6.3% year-over-year growth, whereas our model estimate predicts a 5.9% increase. Increased contributions from both Optum Health and its health benefits divisions are expected to have supported premium growth.
UNH's second-quarter top-line performance is expected to have been enhanced by a rise in service revenues across the board. The consensus estimate implies an almost ...