Dated end-of-day edition
JW Intelligence Report

UnitedHealth Group Inc / UNH

StockHealthcareHealth Care
JW Rank60.4/ 100
Official close$383.50+4.41 (+1.16%)
Bid$383.00
Ask$384.00
Previous close$379.09
ATR (14)2.77%
RSI (14)39.6
Volume2.23M
Model reference$382.00
Upside scenario$405.00
Risk reference$368.00
Decision summary

UNH Option Market Implies Balanced Sentiment

BalancedHigh confidence

The UNH option market displays a neutral stance towards the stock's future direction. While implied volatility is elevated, suggesting potential for price swings, there are no clear directional signals from skew or term structure.

Wheel contextUNH's option market is currently balanced with elevated implied volatility reflecting uncertainty surrounding upcoming earnings and broader healthcare sector trends.
Dated supporting context

JW AI outlook

Neutral

Short-term scenario

Cautious bounce/long on oversold RSI with high uncertainty from lingering cost-trend and sector risks; not a high-conviction setup given bearish short-term MAs/MACD.

Three-month outlook

Neutral-to-cautiously-bullish into late-Oct Q3 earnings if medical cost controls and pricing hold, with potential recovery toward 420-450 (analyst targets imply upside); however, high uncertainty around utilization/GLP-1 costs, regulatory/political environment, Optum execution, and possible further sector pressure. Downside risk to 350-area if trends disappoint. Identify uncertainty: healthcare utilization and policy remain key swing factors; past volatility (52w range ~$256-$462) underscores this.


Market sentiment context

Mixed/cautious with limited high-engagement recent discussion (many promotional posts); some long-term holders and value buyers viewing pullback as opportunity after strong Q2, watching 350-360 for adds or bounce from current levels; concerns linger on medical costs, margins, and regulation. Older 2025 posts more bullish on dip-buying during larger decline.

Observed market data

Price and technical structure

Dated end-of-day indicator set
Trend reference levels11 observations
20D SMA$393.29
50D SMA$408.33
200D SMA$353.35
9D EMA$390.22
21D EMA$395.10
20D MVWAP$392.66
YTD VWAP$340.35
Daily reference VWAP$383.10
Price vs 20D SMA-2.48%
Price vs 50D SMA-6.07%
Price vs 200D SMA8.55%
Momentum kinematics10 observations
RSI (7)36.12
RSI (14)39.60
RSI (21)42.18
Stochastic K23.75
Stochastic D37.17
MACD line-5.05
MACD histogram-4.29
ADX (14)23.66
MACD acceleration-0.65
RSI velocity-1.47
Volatility and price boundaries11 observations
ATR (14)0.08
ATR (14) %2.77%
Bollinger upper$405.68
Bollinger middle$393.29
Bollinger lower$380.90
Bollinger position0.11%
Volatility environmentMedium
20D realized volatility21.20%
Observed range position7.79%
5D true high$406.53
5D true low$375.90
Participation and institutional flow7 observations
Volume2.23M
20D average volume2.32M
Volume vs 20D average0.96x
20D SMA velocity-0.92
50D SMA velocity-0.78
Institutional flow-1.01
ATR velocity0.08
Available cached indicators

Detailed decision indicators

Dated authorized values
Market overview7 observations
Price$383.50
DateSep 14, 2026
Volume2.23M
Vwap D$383.10
Mvwap 20$392.66
Change4.41
Change Percentage1.16%
Trend structure6 observations
Trend SignalBullish Recovery
Sma 20$393.29
Sma 50$408.33
Sma 200$353.35
Ema 9$390.22
Ema 21$395.10
Momentum structure9 observations
Rsi 736.12
Rsi 1439.60
Rsi 2142.18
Rsi SignalNeutral
Stoch K23.75
Stoch D37.17
Macd Line-5.05
Macd SignalBearish
Macd Hist-4.29
Volatility structure3 observations
Atr10.61
Atr Pct2.77%
EnvironmentMedium
Option market context3 observations
Current Iv32.38
Iv Rank26.00
Iv Percentile48.21%
Price boundaries8 observations
Bb Upper405.7
Bb Middle393.3
Bb Lower380.9
Bb Pctb0.11
True High$386.46
True Low$379.09
True High 5d$406.53
True Low 5d$375.90
Three-day velocities7 observations
Sma20$-0.92
Sma50$-0.78
Mvwap20$-1.01
Macd-0.65
Rsi-1.47
Volume-894,447
Atr0.08
Risk radar5 observations
Earnings RiskLow
Earnings DateOct 27, 2026
Macro RiskUnknown
Vol RiskMedium
Structure RiskMedium
Deterministic scoring

JW Rank factors

Higher scores indicate stronger observed structure
LiquidityTrading capacity and quote quality proxyCoverage 100%
95
Strategy FitGeneric Wheel premium-selling environment fitCoverage 100%
79
Technical TrendPrice trend, momentum and long-term structureCoverage 100%
45
Market Tail RiskMarket-wide volatility and tail-risk regimeCoverage 100%
56
Fundamental QualityBusiness quality and balance-sheet durabilityCoverage 100%
32
Volatility PressureOption premium pressure relative to realized movementCoverage 100%
66

JW Rank is not a buy/sell rating, and coverage measures field availability—not accuracy or certainty.

Options Intelligence

What the closing chain was pricing

UNH Option Market Implies Balanced Sentiment

The UNH option market displays a neutral stance towards the stock's future direction. While implied volatility is elevated, suggesting potential for price swings, there are no clear directional signals from skew or term structure.

Front ATM IV30.14%
Current IV32.63%
IV Rank26.83
IV Percentile49.00%
25Δ skew0.63
Term slope-1.49
Term structureFlat
Quote coverage100%
Median option spread6.96%
Term structure

Implied volatility by expiration

3 observed expirations
30.1%28.0%
ExpirationDTEATM IVState
2026-09-184.0030.14%
2026-09-2511.0028.03%
2026-10-0218.0028.65%
Reference structures

Defined-risk observations

Bull Put Spread Reference

Expiration
Short strike$375.00
Long strike$372.50
Net credit / share$0.44
Credit / width17.40%
$44$-206$371.13$376.38Expiration payoff per standard 100-share contract

Bear Call Spread Reference

Expiration
Short strike$392.50
Long strike$395.00
Net credit / share$0.54
Credit / width21.80%
$54$-196$391.13$396.38Expiration payoff per standard 100-share contract
Evidence used
  • Implied volatility (IV) at 32.63% suggests heightened uncertainty and potential for significant price movement in either direction.
  • The delta 25 skew is balanced at 0.63 points, indicating no strong preference for calls or puts.
  • The term structure shows a flat slope (-1.49), meaning near-term and longer-term IV are relatively similar.
Risk context
  • Earnings risk: UNH reports Q3 earnings on October 27th, which could significantly impact the stock price.
Strategy intelligence

Structural fit, not a trade instruction

Wheel fit score79.70

UNH's option market is currently balanced with elevated implied volatility reflecting uncertainty surrounding upcoming earnings and broader healthcare sector trends.

Execution intelligence

Liquidity and quote conditions

Dollar volume$855.67M
Underlying bid/ask spread0.26%
Option quote coverage100%
Median option spread6.96%
Fundamental intelligence

Business quality context

Factor score32.00
Coverage100%

Business quality and balance-sheet durability

Latest strategy observation

UNH Covered Call signal

Sep 14, 2026 9:33 AM EDT

Covered Call | 2026-09-18 | short $382.50 | $6.53 credit | High turnover

Generalized structural observation only; no quantity, order instruction or personalized recommendation is provided.

Company and fundamental profile

UnitedHealth Group Inc at a glance

Dated valuation, quality, growth and shareholder context

Market position and valuation

Market capitalization$340.27B
P/E (TTM)24.1×
Beta0.54
52-week range$255.97 – $461.62
52-week return7.21%
Shares outstanding908.14M

Profitability and financial quality

Return on equity14.40%
Operating margin4.74%
Net margin3.14%
Debt / equity0.83×

Growth and cash generation

Revenue growth (3Y)11.35%
EPS growth (3Y)-14.51%
Free cash flow CAGR (5Y)-4.82%
Revenue / share (TTM)496.8
Book value / share115.1

Shareholder return and calendar

Dividend yield1.37%

Trading and reference facts

MarketNew York Stock Exchange, Inc.
CountryUs
CurrencyUsd
IPO date1984-10-17
Company website
Methodology, edition and field coverage
EditionOfficial Close
Ready sections3 / 3
Report identityc026d5d536fa105e9a3becdc

JW Rank is deterministic and is not a buy/sell rating. Narrative sections explain dated evidence and do not change the score or observed facts. Coverage measures field availability, not accuracy or certainty. This public edition remains fixed.

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Important disclosures. Generalized market-structure research only. This report does not consider holdings, objectives, risk tolerance or financial circumstances and is not an investment recommendation, transaction instruction, offer, solicitation or return forecast. Market data, model scores and AI explanations may be delayed, incomplete or incorrect. Past, hypothetical, model and settled-signal results do not predict future results. Options are complex and may involve loss of the entire premium, substantial or theoretically unlimited loss, assignment, early exercise, margin, liquidity and execution risk. Before trading standardized options, read the OCC’s Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Terms of Use · Privacy Policy