# UnitedHealth (UNH): Q3 beat and higher 2026 profit outlook

> UnitedHealth posted Q3 adjusted EPS of $4.69 vs $2.92 a year ago on $112.7B revenue, and lifted its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50. The…

- URL: https://centiview.com/post/unitedhealth-unh-q3-beat-and-higher-2026-profit-outlook
- Published: 2026-10-13T16:20:00.000Z
- Sectors: Healthcare
- Region: US
- Ticker: UNH
- Sentiment (opinion, not a recommendation): bullish
- Publisher: Centiview (Persie Ltd, London)
- General information only, not financial advice

UnitedHealth posted Q3 adjusted EPS of $4.69 vs $2.92 a year ago on $112.7B revenue, and lifted its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50. The medical care ratio improved to 88.4% from 89.9%, though Medicare Advantage membership is still shrinking.

> **Why it matters** Falling medical costs are the key test for managed care. UnitedHealth's margin recovery supports its turnaround, but revenue is slightly down on the year and Medicare Advantage membership is down about 830,000 from a year ago.

> **What we verified** UnitedHealth's Oct 13, 2026 release shows adjusted EPS of $4.69, revenue of $112.7B (vs $113.2B), a medical care ratio of 88.4% and 2026 adjusted EPS of at least $20.50. Investing.com and Yahoo Finance coverage also report a beat and a raised outlook.

### Sources
- [UnitedHealth Group Q3 2026 earnings release (SEC)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000731766/000073176626000255/earningsrelease3q26unh.htm)
- [UnitedHealth beats Q3 2026 estimates, lifts outlook (Investing.com)](https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-unitedhealth-beats-q3-2026-estimates-lifts-outlook-93CH-4946803)
- [UnitedHealth Rises 4% on Earnings Beat and Raised Full-Year Outlook (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/unitedhealth-rises-4-earnings-beat-132556764.html)