SeekingAlpha · Sep 18, 2026
UnitedHealth: It's Time To Buy This Recovery
UnitedHealth Groupâs recovery is gaining traction, with improving MCR, two 2026 EPS guidance raises, and stronger cash flow. Read more on UNH stock here.
NYSE · UNH
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED (Delaware)
Healthcare · Medical - Healthcare Plans
$376.90
Up+$1.69 (+0.45%)
Updated Sep 20, 2026, 9:57 AM
SID Score
7.1/10
Composite research score
Smart Money
49/100
Neutral
- Market cap
- 305B
- P/E ratio
- 17.38
- Dividend yield
- 2.32%
- 52-week range
- $255.97 – $461.62
- Volume
- 8.62M
- Avg. volume
- 8.77M
Price performance
UNH price history
1M range · 19 trading sessions · Daily adjusted prices
UNH closed at $376.90 after 19 trading sessions, down 5.48% for the selected period.
- Last close
- $376.90
- Period change
- -5.48%
- Period low
- $375.21
- Period high
- $401.01
Daily close
View OHLC price history
| Date | Open | High | Low | Close | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | $375.29 | $378.49 | $372.42 | $376.90 | 8.62M |
| Sep 17, 2026 | $376.45 | $380.50 | $374.20 | $375.21 | 4.84M |
| Sep 16, 2026 | $375.90 | $380.22 | $373.63 | $375.26 | 4.42M |
| Sep 15, 2026 | $383.55 | $383.80 | $375.50 | $375.93 | 4.39M |
| Sep 14, 2026 | $381.44 | $386.46 | $379.2814 | $383.55 | 4.48M |
| Sep 11, 2026 | $390.42 | $391.73 | $375.90 | $379.09 | 7.48M |
| Sep 10, 2026 | $396.00 | $399.265 | $387.60 | $388.28 | 4.35M |
| Sep 9, 2026 | $405.17 | $406.53 | $378.0801 | $393.06 | 7.74M |
| Sep 8, 2026 | $392.40 | $403.885 | $390.44 | $400.84 | 7.05M |
| Sep 4, 2026 | $397.05 | $402.225 | $395.20 | $397.14 | 5.57M |
| Sep 3, 2026 | $400.02 | $405.16 | $395.3005 | $400.94 | 5.49M |
| Sep 2, 2026 | $399.27 | $401.14 | $396.51 | $399.66 | 3.27M |
| Sep 1, 2026 | $392.08 | $399.60 | $391.78 | $396.30 | 3.72M |
| Aug 31, 2026 | $393.52 | $394.49 | $387.71 | $389.41 | 5.75M |
| Aug 28, 2026 | $396.42 | $396.74 | $392.66 | $392.95 | 2.46M |
| Aug 27, 2026 | $396.87 | $399.88 | $393.77 | $395.05 | 3.67M |
| Aug 26, 2026 | $396.33 | $406.25 | $396.01 | $401.01 | 3.56M |
| Aug 25, 2026 | $397.80 | $399.03 | $395.62 | $396.59 | 2.66M |
| Aug 24, 2026 | $391.04 | $399.58 | $390.855 | $398.76 | 4.69M |
Latest UNH news
The latest Smart Investors Daily articles mentioning UNH.
Stock researchCompany · Overview
UNH research
Overview
Company profile and research snapshot.
Company profile
UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers and provides medical benefits to about 51 million members globally, including 1 million outside the US as of December 2024. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in medical insurance. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's Optum franchises help create a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.
Visit company websiteAnalyst outlook
Consensus and target data currently published for this company.
- Consensus
- Buy
- Average target
- $387.80
- Implied upside
- —
- Analysts
- 21
| Date | Firm | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2026 | Mizuho | Outperform | — |
| Jul 21, 2026 | JP Morgan | Overweight | — |
| Jul 20, 2026 | Barclays | Overweight | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | RBC Capital | Outperform | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | UBS | Buy | — |
News briefing
No generated briefing is available yet.
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Yahoo · Sep 18, 2026
Is UnitedHealth (UNH) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
Based on the average brokerage recommendation (ABR), UnitedHealth (UNH) should be added to one's portfolio. Wall Street analysts' overly optimistic recommendations cast doubt on the effectiveness of this highly sought-after metric. So, is the stock worth buying?
AI research layers
Interpretive context generated from the platform’s current data sources.
UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance
UnitedHealth Group shares closed at $376.90, declining 1.02% in the most recent session, per SID market data. The stock has experienced notable weakness over recent periods, falling 3.01% over the past month and 6.0% over the trailing three months. Despite this near-term softness, UNH has posted a 10.26% gain over the past twelve months. Technically, the stock trades below its 50-day moving average of $404.33, signaling sustained short-term downward pressure, yet remains above its 200-day moving average of $346.20, indicating the longer-term trend has not fully reversed. The 14-day relative strength index sits at 36.4, approaching oversold territory below the conventional 30 threshold. UNH carries a beta of 0.432, per Massive/Polygon data, reflecting significantly lower volatility than the broader market. Average daily volume stands at approximately 8.77 million shares, supporting consistent liquidity for institutional participants.
UnitedHealth Group Valuation Analysis
UnitedHealth Group currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.38, according to SID market data, which positions the managed care giant at a moderate valuation relative to the broader healthcare sector. The company's price-to-book ratio stands at 3.19, reflecting the premium investors assign to UNH's extensive managed care and Optum services platform. Notably, the PEG ratio registers at negative 1.02, per SEC filings, suggesting that forward earnings growth estimates have turned negative amid recent operational headwinds. UNH offers a dividend yield of approximately 2.59%, providing income-oriented investors with a meaningful payout during a period of share price weakness. With a market capitalization of approximately $305 billion, UnitedHealth Group remains one of the largest healthcare companies globally. The combination of a sub-20 P/E ratio and elevated dividend yield reflects the market's recalibration of growth expectations against the company's current earnings trajectory and sector dynamics.
Smart Money Activity for UNH
UnitedHealth Group's composite smart money score stands at 49 out of 100, registering a neutral signal, per SID market data. Institutional positioning scores a perfect 25 out of 25, indicating maximum confidence from large fund managers and pension allocators. In contrast, the insider score registers at 0 out of 25, despite significant recent filing activity. According to SEC Form 4 filings, there have been 20 insider transactions over the past 90 days, with 17 classified as purchases and only 3 as sales. This pronounced buy-to-sell ratio suggests corporate insiders are actively accumulating shares during the recent price decline. Congressional trading activity scores 15.6 out of 25, reflecting above-average interest from lawmakers, per 13F institutional filings. Dark pool activity scores a comparatively modest 8.8 out of 25, suggesting limited off-exchange block trading relative to typical large-cap healthcare names. The divergence between strong institutional conviction and the neutral composite score reflects mixed signals across alternative data channels.
UnitedHealth Group Earnings Outlook
UnitedHealth Group has demonstrated a consistent pattern of exceeding analyst expectations across its recent quarterly results. In the most recently reported quarter, the company posted earnings per share of $6.38 against a consensus estimate of $4.85, representing a $1.53 positive surprise, according to company earnings reports. The prior quarter delivered EPS of $7.23 versus the $6.56 estimate, a $0.67 beat. The January quarter showed a narrower outperformance, with actual EPS of $2.11 versus the $2.10 estimate. Looking ahead, analysts project EPS of $6.81 for the upcoming quarter with results expected on April 16, per analyst estimates. The company's next earnings release is scheduled for July 16, with the current consensus estimate set at $4.85. The trajectory of declining beat magnitudes from $1.53 to $0.01 across successive quarters warrants monitoring as forward estimates are recalibrated to reflect updated operational performance and medical cost trends.
Wall Street Analyst Ratings for UNH
Wall Street analysts maintain a uniformly positive stance on UnitedHealth Group despite the stock's recent decline. In the most recent round of coverage updates following the July earnings release, Mizuho reiterated an Outperform rating, while JP Morgan maintained its Overweight designation, per Wall Street analyst reports. Barclays also reaffirmed its Overweight rating on July 20, and both RBC Capital and UBS upheld Outperform and Buy ratings respectively on July 17, according to SID consensus data. Notably, none of the five most recent analyst actions involved a downgrade or a change in directional stance, with each firm maintaining its prior positive recommendation. This consensus bullish positioning across major sell-side institutions contrasts with the stock's 6.0% three-month decline and near-oversold RSI reading of 36.4. The absence of any neutral or negative revisions from top-tier firms suggests institutional analysts view the current price weakness as disconnected from long-term fundamental value in the managed care leader.
