Zacks Research Forecasts Lower Earnings for Elevance Health

Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV) – Research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Elevance Health in a research note issued on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $4.60 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $5.10. The consensus estimate for Elevance Health’s current full-year earnings is $27.04 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Elevance Health’s Q4 2026 earnings at $2.43 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on ELV. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Elevance Health from $439.00 to $424.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group raised their target price on Elevance Health from $400.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Elevance Health from $331.00 to $393.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Elevance Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $363.00 to $498.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Elevance Health from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Elevance Health currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $440.90.

Elevance Health Price Performance

Shares of ELV stock opened at $376.21 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $397.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $356.66. The company has a market capitalization of $81.59 billion, a PE ratio of 16.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.67. Elevance Health has a twelve month low of $273.71 and a twelve month high of $436.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The company reported $7.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.21 by $1.24. Elevance Health had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 14.64%. The company had revenue of $49.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $8.84 earnings per share. Elevance Health’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% on a year-over-year basis.

Elevance Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be paid a $1.72 dividend. This represents a $6.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. Elevance Health’s dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

Insider Activity at Elevance Health

In other news, Director Robert L. Dixon, Jr. sold 151 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $401.77, for a total transaction of $60,667.27. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,312,599.18. This trade represents a 1.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Elevance Health in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in Elevance Health during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. WealthCollab LLC raised its holdings in shares of Elevance Health by 42.2% during the first quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 91 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Elevance Health by 600.0% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 105 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Elevance Health by 120.4% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 108 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.24% of the company’s stock.

Elevance Health News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Elevance Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised most long-term EPS estimates. Zacks Research increased its forecasts for FY2026 EPS to $27.06 from $26.79, FY2027 EPS to $28.83 from $28.51, and FY2028 EPS to $32.49 from $31.77. Estimates were also raised for several 2027–2028 quarters, suggesting improving expectations for Elevance Health’s earnings trajectory.
• Positive Sentiment: Insider purchases offer a confidence signal. CEO and chairman share purchases have made Elevance Health a “Pick of the Week” at Smart Insider, potentially supporting sentiment by indicating that company leaders view the stock as undervalued. Elevance Health Pick of the Week at Smart Insider Following CEO, Chairman Share Purchases
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector comparisons are influencing investor focus. UnitedHealth Group’s second-quarter results showed improved margins, a lower medical cost ratio, and higher earnings guidance, offering a constructive read-through for managed-care fundamentals but also highlighting competitive differences among health insurers. UnitedHealth Just Gave Wall Street a Clearer Turnaround Signal
• Neutral Sentiment: A head-to-head survey comparing Elevance Health with Aeon Global Health provides limited direct earnings information and is unlikely to be a major near-term catalyst. Head to Head Survey: Elevance Health and Aeon Global Health
• Negative Sentiment: Elevance Health underperformed its competitors. The relative weakness suggests investors remain cautious about the company’s near-term outlook, particularly medical-cost trends and execution, despite the improved analyst forecasts. Elevance Health Stock Underperforms Wednesday Compared With Competitors
• Negative Sentiment: A recent analysis sees upside in ELV but concludes the shares are “not yet a buy,” reflecting valuation or execution concerns that may be limiting enthusiasm. Elevance Health Has Upside, But Not Yet a Buy

Elevance Health Company Profile

Elevance Health, Inc (NYSE: ELV) is a large U.S.-based health benefits company that provides a broad range of health insurance products and related services. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the company rebranded from Anthem, Inc to Elevance Health in 2022 while continuing to operate consumer-facing health plans under established state and national brands. Gail Boudreaux serves as chief executive officer and president, leading the company’s strategic focus on integrated health care and benefit delivery.

Elevance’s core activities include offering medical and specialty health plans for individuals, employers and government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid managed-care products.