A selloff in UnitedHealth and peers erased $99 billion in market value. ...

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group's Optum health services is undergoing a strategic turnaround, which includes exiting certain markets and terminating contracts with misaligned medical care providers [2][4] - The company aims to enhance its value-based care model to ensure patients receive appropriate care at the right time and cost [4][5] Financial Performance - UnitedHealth's fourth quarter net income fell to $10 million, a significant drop from $5.5 billion year-over-year, while full-year net income decreased to $12 billion from $14.4 billion [6] - Optum's revenues increased by 8% in Q4 to $70.3 billion and by 7% for the year to $270.6 billion, compared to $253 billion in 2024 [6] - However, Optum Health's full-year revenues declined by 3% to $102 billion, with adjusted earnings from operations dropping to $2.3 billion from $7.9 billion in 2024 [7] Strategic Focus - Optum plans to achieve approximately 9% operating earnings growth in 2026 by concentrating on integrated value-based care [8] - The company will reduce its affiliated network by nearly 20% to better align physicians and services [8] - Optum will eliminate unaligned PPO contracts and reposition certain markets to enhance operational efficiency [8] Technological Advancements - The company is pushing its medical care providers to adopt advanced technology and artificial intelligence to improve care delivery [8] - Nearly 100% of employed provider groups are now using one of three strategic electronic medical records systems, down from 18, facilitating better data management and workflow [9]

The Dow Gets Pummeled by UnitedHealth. Why the Rest of the Stock Market Is Fine. - Barron'sSkip to Main ContentThis copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.# The Dow Is Getting Pummeled by UnitedHealth. Why the Rest of the Stock Market Is Fine.By [Paul R. La Monica]Sha ...

ADP reported that US private payrolls rose an average of 7,750 per week in the four weeks ending January 3, the smallest weekly increase in six weeks.The risk of another partial government shutdown is negative for stocks. Senate Democrats threatened to block a government funding deal over Department of Homeland Security/ICE funding after the ICE shooting of an ICU nurse in Minnesota on Saturday. There could be a partial government shutdown when the current stopgap funding measure expires this Friday.Stocks ...

S&P 500 Hits Record. Tech Boosts Nasdaq as Earnings Season Ramps Up.CONCLUDED[Stock Market News From Jan. 27, 2026: S&P 500 Hits Closing High]Last Updated:---Updated 3 hours ago# S&P 500 Hits Record. Tech Boosts Nasdaq as Earnings Season Ramps Up.By[Connor Smith]The S&P 500 closed at a record, as technology stocks led the index to a fifth-straight day of gains ahead of key earnings reports.The S&P 500 was up 0.4%. At nearly 6979, it's the closest the index has finished a day to the 7000 mark. The Nasdaq Com ...

US stocks mostly rose Tuesday, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC) hitting at a fresh record as optimism around tech offset mounting political concerns ahead of megacap earnings and a Federal Reserve rate decision. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led the way up with a gain of nearly 1%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 0.4% to notch a fresh all-time high. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) shed roughly 0.8%, weighed down by a slide in UnitedHealth (UNH) shares. The S&P 500 notched its latest ...

A $2.5 billion charge tied principally to restructuring and other actions, including contract reassessments, real estate rationalization, and workforce reductions. DeWitt noted about $625 million of this amount was related to a lost contract reserve for third-party contractual relationships within Optum that are “structurally unprofitable” and could not be exited for 2026.A net gain of about $440 million related to portfolio optimization activities for assets the company is exiting or plans to exit.Chairman ...

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group's stock dropped nearly 20% after disappointing earnings, significantly impacting the Dow Jones Industrial Average [1][1] - The Dow was down nearly 1%, influenced by UnitedHealth's decline, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw gains of 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively [1][1] - The price-weighted nature of the Dow means that significant moves in high-priced stocks like UnitedHealth can lead to substantial index fluctuations [1][1] Company Performance - UnitedHealth Group's stock price fell to $351.64, making it the sixth-most expensive stock in the Dow and a major influencer on the index [1][1] - The company faced a "double-whammy" as Medicare administrators announced minimal increases in payments to private Medicare Advantage plans, coupled with a forecast of declining total revenue for the year [1][1] - Other influential Dow components, such as Goldman Sachs, Home Depot, and American Express, also experienced declines, contributing to the overall downturn of the index [1][1] Market Context - The Dow's performance diverged from other major indexes due to the significant impact of UnitedHealth's stock movement, highlighting the unique characteristics of price-weighted indices [1][1] - The decline in UnitedHealth's stock is part of a recurring trend where its financial challenges have previously affected the Dow's performance [1][1]

UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) stock is eyeing its worst single-day percentage loss since April, last seen down 19.8% to trade at $281.96. The company posted mixed fourth-quarter earnings results, with profits of $2.11 beating estimates by one cent, while revenue of $113.2 billion came in below expectations. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal to raise Medicare Advantage rates by 0.09% -- far below expectations of a 4-6% increase -- is weighing on the shares, as well as UnitedHealth's s ...

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (NYSE:UNH) experienced a historic market rout on Tuesday, with its stock plunging 20% in a single day. UNH stock is tanking. See the chart and price action here. The catalyst was a double whammy: a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report coupled with a shockingly low 2027 rate proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).CMS Rate ShockThe primary driver of the sell-off was the CMS 2027 Advance Notice, which proposed a net payment increase of just 0.09%. The ...