UnitedHealth Group posted fourth quarter earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations.
UnitedHealth’s adjusted profits for the three months ended in September came in at $5.34 a share, 17 cents ahead of the Wall Street consensus forecast.
Revenues climbed +12.3% to $82.8 billion, vs. analysts’ estimates of $82.6 billion. Optum revenue climbed +16.5% to $47.9 billion.
UnitedHealth's medical cost ratio was 100 basis points lower at 82.8%, suggesting a smaller portion of its collected premiums were paid out on insurance claims. Premiums in the quarter rose +125 from the year-ago quarter to $64.7 billion, while operating costs climbed +11% to $76 billion.
Looking ahead, the healthcare company expects adjusted earnings for 2023 in the range of $24.40 to $24.90 per share, vs. analyst consensus on FactSet of $24.95 per share. Revenue is projected to be $357 billion to $360 billion, vs. analysts’ forecast of $356.91 billion.
The Stochastic Oscillator for UNH moved out of overbought territory on October 15, 2024. This could be a bearish sign for the stock and investors may want to consider selling or taking a defensive position. A.I.dvisor looked at 68 similar instances where the indicator exited the overbought zone. In of the 68 cases the stock moved lower. This puts the odds of a downward move at .
The 10-day RSI Indicator for UNH moved out of overbought territory on October 15, 2024. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 42 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 42 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on October 15, 2024. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on UNH as a result. In of 93 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for UNH turned negative on October 15, 2024. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 44 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 44 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
UNH moved below its 50-day moving average on October 15, 2024 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for UNH crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on October 18, 2024. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 19 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where UNH declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for UNH entered a downward trend on October 03, 2024. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where UNH advanced for three days, in of 350 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
UNH may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 72, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: UNH's P/B Ratio (5.086) is slightly higher than the industry average of (3.063). P/E Ratio (20.524) is within average values for comparable stocks, (17.509). UNH's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.382) is slightly higher than the industry average of (1.089). Dividend Yield (0.015) settles around the average of (0.020) among similar stocks. UNH's P/S Ratio (1.236) is slightly higher than the industry average of (0.684).
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. UNH’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a provider of hospital and medical service plans
Industry ManagedHealthCare