UnitedHealth Group IncUNHBUYOct 23, 2025Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Sep 04, 2026. Market Open.
(Note the shortish timeframe.) Bumpy road. Biggest weight on stock has been Trump administration's proposal to essentially flatten (increase of 0.1%) Medicare Advantage rates in 2027. That miniscule increase combined with medical cost inflation really puts pressure on.
Trying to prioritize margins over growth. Insurance products will be repriced next year, should see better growth in topline and bottom line.
He owns CVS instead, and a third of their business is health insurance, which 100% of UNH's business. The problem with US healthcare is all the news coming out of Washington. A lot of their business is dictated by the whims of one or two people in the U.S. Still a good business, but is a little speculative.
Previous CEO was starting to fall short. Fears of overstating revenues, sparking an internal investigation. US federal regulator trying to cut healthcare costs in general, which will challenge HMO companies like this one. He imagines stock will sit here for a while until new CEO is able to turn the ship around, or until US healthcare industry sees some change and HMOs get pricing power back.
This space is not a guarantee. Avoid.
Fortunately, he sold around $560. A bit of a quicker trade than usual for him. Company's gone through a lot of changes -- new CEO, higher costs than expected, more regulatory scrutiny. Chart's improved somewhat, so it's on his radar. Might be basing. Still below 200-day MA, and a move above that would be a positive. There's been some buying from major institutions.
Still likes it for the long term. Well into recovery mode. Has stabilized its cost recovery issue. CEO from a decade ago is back and fixing internal issues. Bar on the future outlook has been set low, which gives it room for earnings revisions higher -- should see this in 2026 and 2027.