UnitedHealth Just Got a Checkup, and UNH Stock Has Some Big Problems to Treat in 2026. The Bull and Bear Cases Now.

Group 1 - UnitedHealth Group (UNH) experienced a significant decline in stock performance, with shares falling approximately 33% in 2025 due to fraud allegations, higher medical costs, and weak earnings results [1] - A U.S. Senate committee found that UnitedHealth employed "aggressive tactics" to collect diagnosis data, which inflated Medicare Advantage payments, leading to questionable federal payments [2] - The company is under investigation for allegedly paying nursing homes to limit hospital transfers of seriously ill residents, contributing to a loss of public trust [3] Group 2 - Despite ongoing challenges, UnitedHealth maintained its dividend, recently paying $2.21 per share, marking 24 years of consistent dividend payments, with an annual yield of 2.6% [4] - Analysts from Evercore ISI and RBC Capital have reiterated "Outperform" ratings on UNH, with price targets of $400 and $408 respectively, suggesting that the stock has priced in much of the current chaos [5][6] - Bernstein analysts also maintain an "Outperform" rating with a price target of $444, highlighting the stock's attractive valuation [6]