UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

• UNH Stock Price 24h change: -1.86%. From 340.51 USD to 334.19 USD. The drop was driven by a Senate Judiciary Committee report alleging aggressive tactics to inflate Medicare Advantage payments, fueling regulatory and litigation fears despite reaffirmed 2026 guidance.• From a technical perspective, UNH exhibits a "short-term bearish breakdown within a long-term recovery attempt." The stock is currently trading below its 20-day and 50-day SMAs following the news-driven sell-off, with the RSI dipping toward 39, indicating growing selling pressure. Support is firming around $317, while $350 remains a key resistance level for a trend reversal.• A Senate Judiciary Committee report released on January 12, 2026, accused UnitedHealth of using "aggressive tactics" to collect diagnosis codes to boost federal Medicare Advantage payments, potentially inflating costs by billions.• Bernstein and Barclays analysts maintained "Outperform" ratings this week, arguing that regulatory risks are largely priced in and that the company’s 2026 growth recovery remains intact despite current headlines.• UnitedHealth released two independent Milliman studies on January 13 showing that Medicare Advantage actually reduces out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries compared to traditional Medicare, a strategic defense against ongoing government scrutiny.• The 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference kicked off on January 12, 2026, with major discussions focused on the integration of generative AI (OpenAI and Anthropic) to automate administrative billing and prior authorizations across the insurance sector.• Cardinal Health (CAH) raised its fiscal 2026 earnings outlook on January 13, signaling strong margin recovery in the healthcare distribution and services sector, which provided a slight fundamental buffer for managed care peers.

• UNH Stock Price 24h change: -0.83%. From 346.85 USD to 343.98 USD. The decline was driven by continued concerns over elevated medical costs in Medicare Advantage and ongoing regulatory scrutiny.
• Technical indicators show a "bearish stabilization" phase: the stock is trading well below its 52-week high of 606.36 USD, with key support at 332.16 USD (50-day SMA). While the MACD shows slight bullish divergence, the RSI remains neutral, suggesting a cautious wait-and-see approach ahead of earnings.
• Evercore ISI initiated coverage on UNH with an "Outperform" rating and a 400 USD price target, labeling 2026 a "transition year" for margin recovery.
• Barclays highlighted UNH as a top beneficiary as investor focus shifts from AI toward defensive value stocks, projecting an early-year recovery trend.
• Management confirmed plans to sell Optum’s UK operations to TPG to simplify the corporate portfolio and refocus on core US Medicare challenges.
• Thousands of nurses in New York City began a massive strike across major private hospitals on January 12, citing staffing shortages and AI usage concerns, potentially disrupting regional care delivery.
• The healthcare sector faced new policy volatility as the US administration proposed a major overhaul of childhood vaccine recommendations, shifting decision-making power to individual physicians.