Key Takeaways UnitedHealth shares tumbled Thursday after the health insurer reported fourth-quarter results below Wall Street’s expectations and issued a lackluster outlook amid higher medical costs.The stock ran into selling pressure near the 200-day moving average,

Bernstein analysts maintained their positive stance on UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) shares, reiterating an Outperform rating and a price target of $697.00. The reaffirmation follows UnitedHealth's latest quarterly financial report,

Adjusted per-share earnings in the fourth quarter for UnitedHealth top analysts’ estimates but revenue comes up short.

The S&P 500 slid 0.2% on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, losing momentum after posting solid gains driven by earnings and inflation optimism in the previous session.

But high medical costs contributed to results that disappointed Wall Street, and the company’s stock fell on the news that it had made less than analysts expected.