The UNH stock price is the per-share trading price of UnitedHealth Group on the New York Stock Exchange, quoted in US dollars. It closed at $371.90 on October 2, 2026, then rose almost 3% on October 13 after stronger third-quarter results. Because the quote changes every second the market is open, always confirm a live number with your brokerage before acting.
Ever refresh a ticker and wonder why a company worth hundreds of billions can swing several per cent in a day? I did exactly that through most of 2025, and honestly, I still do. Let’s walk through it together, friend.
What Is the UNH Stock Price and Where Does It Trade?
UnitedHealth Group is a health insurer and care services company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Its shares trade under the ticker UNH, and the company is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The business has two major arms: UnitedHealthcare, which sells insurance plans, and Optum, which covers care delivery, pharmacy benefits and data services.
Its market value has recently sat somewhere between US350billionandUS400 billion. That is enormous. A one per cent move in the shares shifts billions of dollars of value, which explains why headlines follow it so closely.
How Has the UNH Stock Price Moved Across 2025 and 2026?
Rough ride. During 2025 the shares lost roughly 35% of their value. Medical costs rose faster than the company expected, it withdrew its earnings outlook, and Stephen Hemsley returned as chief executive.
Then 2026 flipped the script. Based on closing prices around dividend dates, the shares were near $287 in early March and near $396 by mid-June, a gain of about 38% in roughly three months. They have since drifted lower and steadier, landing at $371.90 at the start of October. Did you expect that kind of whiplash from an insurer? Most people don’t.
What Moves the UNH Stock Price?
Four forces do most of the work. In our experience watching earnings weeks, the first two matter far more than daily noise.
The Medical Care Ratio
This is the share of premium dollars spent on actual medical care. Lower is better for profit. In the third quarter of 2026 it came in at 88.4%, compared with 89.9% a year earlier and an analyst expectation of about 89.9%. A gap of 1.5 percentage points sounds tiny, yet on revenue above $112 billion it is worth real money.
Company Guidance
Management publishes an earnings-per-share forecast, and investors treat it like a promise. UnitedHealth has now raised its full-year adjusted outlook to at least $20.50 per share, the third increase this year. Raised guidance tends to calm nervous holders.
Government Policy
A large portion of the business depends on Medicare Advantage, where US federal payment rates and rules set the ground conditions. The company has also pledged to cut 30% of its existing prior authorization volume by the end of 2026. Policy shifts can move shares overnight.
Legal and Regulatory Headlines
Scrutiny of large health companies does not fade quickly. Investigations and lawsuits rarely settle the question on day one, so shares can wobble on rumours. I would treat early headlines as noise until facts arrive.
What Happened to the UNH Stock Price After Third-Quarter Results?
On October 13, 2026, the company reported revenue of $112.7 billion, down about 0.4% from a year earlier. Adjusted earnings reached $4.69 per share, comfortably above the $4.12 analysts had pencilled in. Shares climbed nearly 3% that day.
Here is my honest read. It was a margin-recovery quarter, not a growth quarter. Profit improved because costs fell, while membership numbers disappointed slightly. Good news, with a caveat.
Is the UNH Stock Price Cheap or Expensive Compared With Earnings?
Price alone tells you very little. A $370 share of a company earning $20 a share is a different animal than a $370 share earning $5.
Around the October results, trailing price-to-earnings sat near 24, while the forward ratio, based on expected profit over the next twelve months, was close to 19. A lower forward figure means the market expects earnings to grow. It is a bet, not a fact. Insurers also tend to trade at lower multiples than technology firms because their margins are thin; UnitedHealth’s net margin was only 3.6% last quarter.
So is it a bargain? I would not say so with confidence. Anyone who does is guessing, and I prefer to show you the numbers and let you decide.
How Do Dividends and Taxes Affect Canadian Investors?
UnitedHealth pays a quarterly dividend of $2.32 per share, or $9.28 a year, which works out to a yield of roughly 2.5% at recent prices. The latest ex-dividend date fell on September 14.
Canadians face a few wrinkles, so here is the short list:
- Dividends from US companies are generally subject to 15% withholding tax under the Canada–US tax treaty.
- Inside an RRSP that withholding is normally waived. Inside a TFSA it is not recoverable.
- In a non-registered account, you can usually claim a foreign tax credit on your return through the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Buying US shares means converting Canadian dollars. Some brokers charge around 1.5% to 2% per conversion, and a workaround called Norbert’s gambit can reduce that cost.
One small tip from experience: check your broker’s conversion fee before your first trade, not after.
How Can You Follow the UNH Stock Price Without Losing Sleep?
Stop checking it hourly. Seriously. Daily charts mostly record mood, while quarterly filings record reality.
Pick a routine you can keep. Read the earnings release four times a year, glance at the medical care ratio, and compare management’s guidance with the previous quarter. Write down one sentence about what changed. That habit alone puts you ahead of most casual watchers.
Two more things help. Set a price alert instead of staring at the screen, and keep a short note on why you own the shares in the first place. When the price drops 5% on a rumour, that note answers the question “should I panic?” far better than a headline will. Have you ever sold something in a hurry and regretted it a week later? Yeah, me too.
Remember, nobody can promise where a stock goes next. Nothing here is investment advice, and your own goals, timeline and risk tolerance matter more than any single quarter.
FAQ
What Is the UNH Stock Price Today?
It changes constantly during market hours, so a live quote from your brokerage is the only reliable answer. The most recent close I verified was $371.90 on October 2, 2026, before the third-quarter report lifted shares.
Why Did UnitedHealth Stock Fall So Much in 2025?
Medical costs climbed beyond the company’s planning, which squeezed margins. Management then withdrew its outlook and changed chief executives, and confidence took a hit.
Can Canadians Buy UnitedHealth Stock?
Yes. Most Canadian brokerages let you buy NYSE-listed shares in US dollars, in registered or non-registered accounts. Plan for currency conversion and dividend withholding.
Is UnitedHealth Stock a Buy Right Now?
Nobody can answer that for you honestly. Recovering margins and raised guidance are positives, while policy and legal risk remain real. Weigh both before deciding.
