United Health Share Price Today: Live UNH Stock Quote & Analysis

UnitedHealth Group has shed roughly 20% so far in 2026, extending a painful two-year decline — but Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway quietly picked up 5 million UNH shares during that same pullback, buying as the stock cratered toward multi-year lows.

Current Price: $353.82 ·
Market Cap: $343.32B ·
P/E Ratio: 24.44 ·
52-Week High: $438.85 ·
Q1 2025 Adj. EPS: $7.23

Below is a summary of UnitedHealth’s key trading and financial metrics.

Is UnitedHealthcare a good stock to buy now?

That depends on what you believe is priced in. UnitedHealth posted Q1 adjusted earnings of $7.23 per share, handily beating what analysts expected and prompting the company to raise its full-year outlook by $0.50. Those numbers landed when the stock was already trading well below its 52-week high — and that combination of beaten earnings plus depressed valuation is exactly what attracts contrarian buyers.

Analyst ratings and forecasts

Brokerage houses have been trimming targets as the stock traded lower, but several models now point to meaningful upside. A TIKR valuation model projects UNH reaching $390 per share by December 2028, implying roughly 45.5% total return from a $268 baseline — that works out to about 14.5% annualized, assuming modest 2.5% revenue growth and a 15x price-to-earnings multiple. MarketBeat analysts have floated the possibility of a 50% rebound if the business stabilizes and the stock re-rates toward historical norms. The implication: the earnings miss that crushed the stock in early 2025 is the same earnings recovery that could lift it over the next two to three years.

Pros and cons of buying UNH

The bull case rests on three pillars. First, Berkshire Hathaway’s $1.57 billion stake — representing 5.039 million shares purchased at an average cost of roughly $314 per share — signals that one of the world’s most celebrated investors sees value at these levels. Second, Q1 results proved the business can still generate cash even amid noise: adjusted EPS of $7.23 beat expectations, and 2026 guidance points to EPS above $17.75. Third, at a P/E of 17x versus the S&P 500’s 30.8x, UNH trades at a steep discount to the broad market.

Why is UNH crashing?

UnitedHealth didn’t fall in a straight line — it was hit by a cluster of setbacks that compounded faster than most investors anticipated. A cyberattack disrupted operations, the company withdrew its earnings outlook, and the CEO was killed in a high-profile incident. On top of all that, a DOJ investigation into Medicare billing practices raised questions about future revenue streams. Each event alone might have been manageable; together, they sent the stock into a tailspin that erased years of gains.

Key events driving the drop

The most damaging single event was a 22.38% one-day plunge — UnitedHealth’s steepest ever — after the company revised its full-year adjusted EPS forecast from $29.50–$30.00 down to $16.25. That kind of guidance slash doesn’t just move the stock; it forces reassessment of the entire business model. The stock finished 2025 down roughly 35%, and in 2026 it has fallen another 21% year-to-date, according to QuiverQuant. For institutional investors who had sized positions based on prior guidance, the repricing required substantial portfolio adjustments.

Impact of Trump-related news

Recent regulatory signals tied to the Trump administration’s approach to healthcare policy have added another layer of pressure. The uncertainty around Medicare reimbursement rates and potential Medicaid funding cuts has weighed on the entire managed-care sector, but UnitedHealth — given its sheer size and exposure to government programs — has been hit harder than most. The stock plunged after related news broke, and even Berkshire’s purchase couldn’t fully arrest the decline in early trading.

Did Warren Buffett buy UNH?

Yes — and the timing makes it more interesting. Berkshire Hathaway acquired 5.039 million UnitedHealth shares during the second quarter of 2025, a position worth approximately $1.57 billion at quarter-end prices. The 13F filing confirming this stake was released on August 14, 2025, and UNH surged nearly 14% in after-hours trading on the news. The purchase represented Berkshire’s largest new position that quarter, accounting for 0.61% of its portfolio and ranking as the 18th-largest holding in the entire fund.

Details of the 5M share purchase

Berkshire bought at an average cost of about $314 per share — a level that represented a 16-year low P/E ratio of just 12, according to ainvest.com analysis. At those prices, the stock was trading at a substantial discount to its 10-year average P/E of 22x and the sector average of 21.3x. For Buffett, who has long championed buying “wonderful businesses at fair prices,” the valuation metric here is notable: he wasn’t chasing UNH near highs; he was picking it up near generational lows.

Timing during stock tank

What makes this move unusual is that Berkshire built the position while the stock was actively falling. The 13F filing covers the period between March 31 and June 30, 2025 — exactly when UNH was working its way lower after the January guidance disaster. That suggests either Berkshire was accumulating on the way down or entered near the bottom of that trough. Either way, the Oracle of Omaha was putting money to work in healthcare at a moment when most other investors were running for the exits.

What is the fair value of United Healthcare stock?

Determining fair value for a company the size of UnitedHealth means wrestling with a few competing frameworks. On one hand, the forward P/E of roughly 13–17x sits well below the 10-year average of 22x and the sector average of 21.3x — a discount that suggests the market is pricing in regulatory risk, operational uncertainty, or both. On the other hand, the company’s $1.7 trillion in annual medical payment processing, 5.7% net margin, and 26.8% return on equity represent a durable operational moat that few peers can match.

Valuation metrics

The numbers tell a bifurcated story. UnitedHealth posted 2025 revenue of $447.6 billion — a figure that dwarfs most other publicly traded companies — and its 2026 revenue outlook exceeds $439.0 billion with adjusted EPS above $17.75. At current prices near $353, the market is essentially saying it expects those earnings to be lower, harder to achieve, or both. The PEG ratio of 3.2x suggests growth isn’t cheap, but that growth figure is based on normalizing earnings in a post-DOJ-resolution environment.

Price targets from analysts

Analyst targets range widely, reflecting genuine uncertainty. The TIKR model targets $390/share by December 2028 — a projection that requires the stock to re-rate from its current discount toward historical norms. Some analysts cited by QuiverQuant have talked about an 80% rebound toward the 200-week moving average, though such projections carry substantial execution risk. MarketBeat’s more measured view points to potential 50%+ upside if the business stabilizes. The range of targets tells you something important: the bears are focused on regulatory risk; the bulls are focused on valuation.

UnitedHealth stock forecast and dividend?

UnitedHealth hasn’t abandoned its shareholders. The company returned $5 billion to shareholders in the first quarter of 2025 alone, and its dividend has grown steadily even as the stock price has contracted. For income-oriented investors holding through volatility, that consistent cash return is part of the bull case — though the stock’s total return over the past two years has been negative enough that yield on cost matters more than current yield.

Future price targets

The path forward hinges on two variables: earnings recovery and multiple expansion. If UnitedHealth resolves the DOJ investigation without major penalties, analysts project EPS could recover meaningfully in 2026 and beyond. Combined with the stock re-rating toward its historical P/E of 22x, the math points to meaningful upside from current levels. The TIKR model’s $390 target by 2028 assumes normalized margins and a 15x multiple — reasonable but not guaranteed. Analysts expecting 50%+ rebounds are banking on the business proving more resilient than the stock suggests.

Dividend details

UnitedHealth has a track record of annual dividend increases, making it a Dividend Aristocrat in waiting if the current period of weakness doesn’t break that streak. The dividend yield has risen as the stock fell, making the yield on cost for long-term holders increasingly attractive. However, yield is only part of the total return equation — the capital appreciation potential (or risk of further decline) matters more over the next 12 to 24 months.

“Berkshire’s purchase of 5 million shares—valued at a 16-year low P/E ratio of 12—reflects a belief in the company’s long-term resilience.”

— ainvest.com analysis, financial analyst

“With Buffett’s endorsement, UnitedHealth surged nearly 14% in after-hours trading.”

— itiger.com, news outlet

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With UNH at $353.82 after a sharp 20% drop, live UNH quote analysis provides targets and insights amid Buffett’s recent buys and Q1 EPS strength.

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