UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
NYSEHealth CareMedical - Healthcare PlansSnapshot 2026-10-30
NYSEHealth CareMedical - Healthcare PlansSnapshot 2026-10-30
Research Workspace
Put UNH beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Health Care is in steady. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — annual revenue growth of at least 1%: Comparison needs review.
View ThesisRevenue growth is slowing — up about 6% over the past year and decelerating.
View GrowthRanks among the strongest in its industry on quality — around the top 20%.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, margins, the balance sheet.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskUnitedHealth’s margin recovery is the central claim, supported by cash-backed profits and recent earnings beats. Revenue growth has slowed: year-over-year revenue growth was 2% in Q1 and 0% in Q2. Q3 adjusted earnings beat consensus by 13.8%, while revenue was slightly below the prior year. UNH trades at 20× P/E versus a 22× peer median and its 22× historical multiple. The price reflects less growth than our forecast. The specific risk is the annual revenue-growth pillar, whose comparison needs review, not confirmed failure. The model puts next-quarter miss probability at 13%. Peer multiples imply a price about 5% above where it trades; the thesis is on watch. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. UNH is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 27 analysts currently covering UNH (as of Oct 2026).
Based on 18 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for UNH in the last 4 months.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNH Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 12 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-30. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Managed Health Care — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put UNH next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Expand UnitedHealthcare consumer base and improve operating margins
AI rollout to 21 million members advances consumer access and operations, but impact on growth and margins remains unproven.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $406.97
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $406.97.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.

Threatens: Expand UnitedHealthcare consumer base and improve operating margins
Expected Medicare Advantage plan cuts threaten UnitedHealthcare enrollment growth and consumer-base expansion.

Reported pressure to inflate therapy hours raises potential compliance and reputational risks for UnitedHealth’s Optum-related care businesses.

Threatens: Expand UnitedHealthcare consumer base and improve operating margins
Large Medicare Advantage plan exits threaten consumer growth and may pressure UnitedHealthcare margins.

Threatens: Raise 2026 EPS outlook to at least $19.50 per share
Earnings beat but raises concerns about future growth.

Advances: Raise 2026 EPS outlook to at least $19.50 per share
CFO's comments suggest strong growth potential for EPS.

Advances: Raise 2026 EPS outlook to $19.50-$20.00 per share
Increases EPS guidance above previous target.

Advances: Raise 2026 EPS outlook to $19.50-$20.00 per share
Profit forecast raise supports EPS growth objective.
