UnitedHealth Shares Jump as Turnaround Shows Progress

Published: 2026-04-21 08:06:22 ET UNH

Published on 04/21/2026 at 08:06 am EDT

By Nicholas G. Miller

Shares of UnitedHealth rose after the company reported first-quarter results well above analysts' expectations, a year after the company reported disappointing earnings that prompted an unprecedented share meltdown.

The stock rose 7.3% to $347 in premarket trading. Through Monday's close, it was down 24% over the past 12 months.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $7.23 a share, well above analysts' forecast of $6.58 a share, according to FactSet.

Revenue came in at $111.7 billion, beating Wall Street's expectation of $109.43 billion.

The company also raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance by 50 cents a share to more than $18.25 a share, above the FactSet consensus of $17.86.

Chief Executive Stephen Hemsley has been trying to implement a turnaround after taking the helm last May following the stock sell-off. UnitedHealth said it has made changes including replacing almost half of the company's top 100 executives and investing substantially in AI.

Write to Nicholas G. Miller at [email protected].

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

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