Core Viewpoint - UnitedHealth Group's stock experienced a significant decline of 20% following the announcement of its Q4 results and 2025 guidance, despite better-than-expected earnings, primarily due to disappointing Medicare Advantage rate proposals from CMS [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Reaction - UnitedHealth Group's share price is down over 50% from its late 2024 peak, closing at $293.98 after a 3.99% increase on the day of the report [1]. - The stock's market capitalization stands at $266 billion, with a trading volume of 1.2 million shares [2]. Group 2: Medicare Advantage Rate Impact - The proposed increase in 2027 Medicare Advantage rates by CMS is only 0.09%, which is significantly lower than the anticipated 4% to 6% increase, leading to a sharp decline in UnitedHealth's stock [2][3]. - Other health insurance stocks were also affected, with Humana's shares dropping 22% and CVS Health's stock falling nearly 14% following the CMS announcement [3]. Group 3: Company Leadership Insights - Timothy Noel, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, expressed concerns that the CMS rates do not accurately reflect medical utilization and cost trends, indicating potential significant benefit reductions [4]. - CEO Stephen Hemsley projected modest growth for 2026, with expectations of low double-digit earnings growth in 2027 and a return to historical growth levels by 2028, maintaining long-term growth rates of 13% to 16% [7]. Group 4: Future Outlook - The initial sell-off of UnitedHealth Group's stock may have been overdone, as Medicare Advantage accounts for only about 15% of its total medical membership, suggesting the financial impact may not justify a 20% decline in valuation [5]. - Analysts suggest that the proposed CMS rates could be revised upward, with a potential 2.5% increase being hinted at, which would be more favorable for UnitedHealth Group [6].

Core Viewpoint - The decline in UnitedHealth Group, Inc. shares is viewed as a buying opportunity by Cantor Fitzgerald analysts following a significant 20% drop in stock price [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - UnitedHealth stock experienced a sharp decline after a disappointing 2027 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice and a fourth quarter earnings report that indicated a rare revenue decline for the upcoming year [1] - Following the drop, UnitedHealth shares made a slight recovery, gaining 3.86% to trade at $293.62 [2] Group 2: Analyst Ratings and Outlook - Cantor Fitzgerald maintained an Overweight rating and a price target of $440 for UnitedHealth Group, contrasting with other analysts who lowered their price targets [2] - The firm's bullish outlook is supported by valuation and overall market conditions despite the recent heavy selling [2]

Following the dip, UNH looks inexpensive relative to its history and peers. It trades at about 22.8× forward earnings and only 0.69× forward sales. Both multiples sit well below sector medians and below UNH’s own five‑year averages, suggesting shares are “in bargain territory” in many analysts’ view.Through late January 2026, UNH shares have declined roughly a third from January 2025 levels. This underperformance came with several shocks: an unprecedented earnings miss in the past two quarters and a CEO suc ...

Core Viewpoint - UnitedHealth Group's stock experienced a significant decline of nearly 20% following a Q4 earnings report that showed a minor sales miss and a drastic drop in GAAP profits, which fell nearly 100% year over year to just $0.01 per share [1]. Group 1: Earnings Report Impact - UnitedHealth's non-GAAP earnings met analyst expectations, but GAAP earnings were severely disappointing [1]. - The stock is showing signs of recovery, with a 4% increase noted the following day, although this is minimal compared to the previous day's losses [3]. Group 2: Analyst Reactions - Following the earnings report, seven analysts have lowered their price targets for UnitedHealth stock, yet all still value it above the current trading price of $294 [4]. - Analysts' price targets vary, with Bank of America setting a target of $315 and Cantor Fitzgerald predicting a rise to $440, indicating a potential 50% profit from current levels [6]. Group 3: Investment Considerations - UnitedHealth stock is trading at 16.7 times forward earnings and offers a 3.1% dividend yield, with expectations to triple profits over the next five years [6]. - Despite the recent downturn, the stock is still viewed as a buy by most analysts [5].

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group's significant stock decline led to a 409-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, marking a 0.8% decrease [1] - The decline was primarily attributed to a proposal from the Trump administration to maintain flat Medicare rates for the upcoming year, which surprised the industry and investors [1] - UnitedHealth is projected to experience its first annual revenue decline in over 30 years by 2026, indicating ongoing struggles to regain investor confidence [2] Impact on the Dow Jones - UnitedHealth's stock price drop of 68.94 points, or 19.6%, had a substantial impact, translating to a 424.44-point decline in the Dow due to its price-weighted nature [3] - The remaining 29 stocks in the Dow collectively contributed only a minor increase of 15 points, with the top six gainers adding 168.8 points [3] - Other major stocks, including Apple, Nvidia, Amazon.com, and Chevron, collectively fell by 153.3 points, further illustrating the negative impact of UnitedHealth's decline [4] Market Outlook - There is a possibility of a slight rebound for UnitedHealth and Humana on January 28, with the Nasdaq-100 Index and S&P 500 expected to open slightly higher [5] - The financial news on January 28 is anticipated to be busy, including the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and earnings reports from major companies like Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, and IBM [7]

UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) reported mixed fourth-quarter 2025 results on Tuesday.The company reported adjusted earnings of $2.11, down from $6.81 a year ago, beating the consensus of $2.10. Revenues increased 12% year over year to $113.215 billion, missing the consensus of $113.817 billion.“We confronted challenges directly and finished 2025 as a much stronger company, giving us the momentum to better serve those who count on us and continue to improve our core performance,” said Stephen Hemsley, CEO ...

We recently published 10 Big Names With Painful Declines. UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) was one of the worst performers on Tuesday. UnitedHealth dropped its share prices by 19.61 percent on Tuesday to close at $282.70 apiece as investors soured on its weaker outlook for 2026, as well as disappointing Medicare Advantage payment rates for next year. In a statement on Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a mere 0.09 percent increase in Medicare Advantage payments for nex ...

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares have experienced a significant decline of 19.6% in a single day, raising concerns about its weak revenue forecast for 2026 and modest Medicare Advantage rate increases [2] - The company is valued at $256 billion with a revenue of $435 billion, currently trading at $282.70 [2] Financial Performance - UnitedHealth has shown a revenue growth of 10.5% over the last 12 months, with an operating margin of 6.1% [5] - The company has a Debt to Equity ratio of 0.31 and a Cash to Assets ratio of 0.1, indicating moderate liquidity [5] - The stock trades at a P/E multiple of 14.6 and a P/EBIT multiple of 9.8, suggesting a low valuation [5] Market Resilience - UNH stock has historically performed better than the S&P 500 during economic downturns, with a median return of 53.6% within a year following sharp downturns since 2010 [5] - The stock has shown resilience, fully regaining its pre-crisis peak after significant declines during various economic events, including the 2022 Inflation Shock and the 2020 COVID Pandemic [6][7] Recent Stock Movements - UNH stock fell 19.3% from a peak of $555.15 on October 31, 2022, to $447.75 on July 13, 2023, while the S&P 500 saw a peak-to-trough decline of 25.4% [6] - The stock reached a high of $625.25 on November 11, 2024, before trading at its current price of $282.70 [6]

Now you can get access to the latest and highest-quality analysis of recent Wall Street buying and selling ideas with just one subscription to Beyond the Wall Investing ! There is a free trial and a special discount of 10% for you. Join us today!My first-ever article on UnitedHealth ( UNH ) came out in mid-May 2025 , right after the stock's heavy drop on pulling its guidance and replacing the previousDaniel Sereda is chief investment analyst at a family office whose investments span continents and diverse a ...

Expects UHC, Medicare Advantage contraction will be in the range of 1.3 million to 1.4 million members for the full year, including Group, individual and dual special needs plans, greater losses than anticipated. Says competitive market dynamics drove higher than expected. Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See today’s best-performing stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on UNH: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue ...