Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV)
Elevance Health is a major American health insurance provider that helps millions of people access medical care and pharmacy services.
Is Elevance Health, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Elevance Health is a major American health insurance provider that helps millions of people access medical care and pharmacy services.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Strong adoption of digital health tools improving efficiency.
Major structural changes to the US healthcare system.
What does Elevance Health, Inc. do?
Elevance Health operates primarily as a health insurer, making money by collecting premiums from members and paying for their medical claims. They also run a pharmacy benefit management business, which helps manage the cost and distribution of prescription drugs. What really drives the results is how they balance rising medical costs against the premiums they charge, which feeds straight into their profit margins.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.8% a year
- !Thin profits - turns only about 2% of sales into profit
- Value screens high (76/100)
- Large, established player in the essential healthcare sector
- Lower volatility compared to the broader market
- Diversified income through pharmacy benefit management
- Growth screens low (16/100)
- Rising medical costs exceeding premium income
- Increased competition in the insurance market
- Potential for stricter government regulation on drug pricing
What do Elevance Health, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Elevance Health, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Elevance Health, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Elevance Health, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 1.8% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Elevance Health, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Elevance Health, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-21 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-15 | $6.21 | $7.45 | Beat +20% |
| 2026-04-22 | $10.81 | $12.58 | Beat +16% |
| 2026-01-28 | $3.09 | $3.33 | Beat +8% |
| 2025-10-21 | $4.94 | $6.03 | Beat +22% |
| 2025-07-17 | $8.92 | $8.84 | In line |
| 2025-04-22 | $11.48 | $11.97 | Beat +4% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Elevance Health, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.What are the scenarios for Elevance Health, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Elevance Health, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Large, established player in the essential healthcare sector
- Lower volatility compared to the broader market
- Diversified income through pharmacy benefit management
- Very thin profit margins leave little room for error
- Recent decline in year-over-year earnings
- Highly sensitive to government policy changes
- Rising medical costs exceeding premium income
- Increased competition in the insurance market
- Potential for stricter government regulation on drug pricing
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major shift in US healthcare legislation that removes private insurers
- A sustained, multi-year period of declining membership numbers
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.