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.

UnitedHealth beat fourth-quarter earnings forecast, though revenue fell short and medical costs ran high, hitting the Dow Jones component.