Dated end-of-day edition
JW Intelligence Report

UnitedHealth Group Inc / UNH

StockHealthcareHealth Care
JW Rank62.3/ 100
Official close$376.12+0.86 (+0.23%)
Bid$375.72
Ask$379.50
Previous close$375.26
ATR (14)2.64%
RSI (14)35.0
Volume2.26M
Model reference$372.00
Upside scenario$392.00
Risk reference$360.00
Decision summary

UNH Option Market Implies Mixed Sentiment

BalancedHigh confidence

The UNH option market displays a neutral stance, with mixed signals from technicals and fundamental context. While implied volatility is elevated at 38.17%, reflecting uncertainty around upcoming earnings, the term structure shows a slight flattening trend. The skew is balanced, suggesting no strong directional bias. Recent news regarding Q2 earnings beat expectations but raised concerns about medical costs and margin recovery timelines.

Wheel contextThe market appears to be pricing in potential volatility around the upcoming earnings release.
Dated supporting context

JW AI outlook

Neutral

Short-term scenario

Cautious hold or selective buy on a dip toward support given mildly oversold RSI and upcoming dividend, targeting a bounce; however there is high uncertainty from mixed/short-term bearish technicals, ongoing commercial cost pressures, low volume, and approaching Q3 earnings. This is not investment advice.

Three-month outlook

Constructive if Q3 (October 13) confirms continued cost control and guidance delivery, potentially supporting a move toward 400-450 amid operational improvements and share repurchases; however high uncertainty remains due to delayed commercial margin recovery, medical utilization/cost trends, regulatory and reimbursement risks, and possible volatility around earnings. Stock could trade in a wide 350-420 range. Monitor developments closely as outcomes are far from certain.


Market sentiment context

Mixed and cautious. Some posts highlight attractive valuation after the pullback, scale advantages, cash flow, and turnaround potential, with mentions of adding on further dips to 350-360. Others note real concerns around medical costs, margins, and regulation. Recent analyst reiteration of Overweight with $495 price target. High volume of unrelated spam; overall wait-and-see tone with selective bullishness on the long-term story.

Observed market data

Price and technical structure

Dated end-of-day indicator set
Trend reference levels11 observations
20D SMA$390.70
50D SMA$405.42
200D SMA$354.05
9D EMA$383.00
21D EMA$390.21
20D MVWAP$390.31
YTD VWAP$340.66
Daily reference VWAP$376.64
Price vs 20D SMA-3.96%
Price vs 50D SMA-7.45%
Price vs 200D SMA5.98%
Momentum kinematics10 observations
RSI (7)28.30
RSI (14)35.04
RSI (21)38.93
Stochastic K3.71
Stochastic D8.80
MACD line-7.06
MACD histogram-5.42
ADX (14)28.40
MACD acceleration-0.67
RSI velocity-1.52
Volatility and price boundaries11 observations
ATR (14)-0.24
ATR (14) %2.64%
Bollinger upper$408.59
Bollinger middle$390.70
Bollinger lower$372.81
Bollinger position0.07%
Volatility environmentMedium
20D realized volatility21.24%
Observed range position0.00%
5D true high$391.73
5D true low$373.63
Participation and institutional flow7 observations
Volume2.26M
20D average volume2.25M
Volume vs 20D average1.00x
20D SMA velocity-0.86
50D SMA velocity-0.97
Institutional flow-0.78
ATR velocity-0.24
Available cached indicators

Detailed decision indicators

Dated authorized values
Market overview7 observations
Price$376.12
DateSep 17, 2026
Volume2.26M
Vwap D$376.64
Mvwap 20$390.31
Change0.86
Change Percentage0.23%
Trend structure6 observations
Trend SignalBullish Recovery
Sma 20$390.70
Sma 50$405.42
Sma 200$354.05
Ema 9$383.00
Ema 21$390.21
Momentum structure9 observations
Rsi 728.30
Rsi 1435.04
Rsi 2138.93
Rsi SignalNeutral
Stoch K3.71
Stoch D8.80
Macd Line-7.06
Macd SignalBearish
Macd Hist-5.42
Volatility structure3 observations
Atr9.89
Atr Pct2.64%
EnvironmentMedium
Option market context3 observations
Current Iv38.34
Iv Rank46.26
Iv Percentile77.69%
Price boundaries8 observations
Bb Upper408.6
Bb Middle390.7
Bb Lower372.8
Bb Pctb0.07
True High$380.50
True Low$374.20
True High 5d$391.73
True Low 5d$373.63
Three-day velocities7 observations
Sma20$-0.86
Sma50$-0.97
Mvwap20$-0.78
Macd-0.67
Rsi-1.52
Volume9,978
Atr-0.24
Risk radar5 observations
Earnings RiskLow
Earnings DateOct 13, 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%
91
Strategy FitGeneric Wheel premium-selling environment fitCoverage 100%
81
Technical TrendPrice trend, momentum and long-term structureCoverage 100%
41
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%
83

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 Mixed Sentiment

The UNH option market displays a neutral stance, with mixed signals from technicals and fundamental context. While implied volatility is elevated at 38.17%, reflecting uncertainty around upcoming earnings, the term structure shows a slight flattening trend. The skew is balanced, suggesting no strong directional bias. Recent news regarding Q2 earnings beat expectations but raised concerns about medical costs and margin recovery timelines.

Front ATM IV29.83%
Current IV38.17%
IV Rank45.65
IV Percentile77.29%
25Δ skew-1.99
Term slope-0.21
Term structureFlat
Quote coverage97%
Median option spread10.16%
Term structure

Implied volatility by expiration

3 observed expirations
29.8%26.8%
ExpirationDTEATM IVState
2026-09-181.0029.83%
2026-09-258.0026.82%
2026-10-0215.0029.62%
Reference structures

Defined-risk observations

Bull Put Spread Reference

Expiration
Short strike$375.00
Long strike$372.50
Net credit / share$0.49
Credit / width19.60%
$49$-201$371.13$376.38Expiration payoff per standard 100-share contract

Bear Call Spread Reference

Expiration
Short strike$382.50
Long strike$385.00
Net credit / share$0.50
Credit / width20.20%
$50$-200$381.13$386.38Expiration payoff per standard 100-share contract
Evidence used
  • Implied volatility at 38.17% suggests market uncertainty ahead of the October 13th earnings release.
  • The balanced delta skew indicates no strong bullish or bearish sentiment.
  • The slight flattening term structure suggests a decrease in expected future volatility.
  • Recent news highlights both positive aspects (earnings beat, dividend) and concerns (medical costs, margin pressure).
Risk context
  • Medical cost pressures could impact margins and future guidance.
  • Regulatory changes or reimbursement issues pose a risk to profitability.
Strategy intelligence

Structural fit, not a trade instruction

Wheel fit score80.70

The market appears to be pricing in potential volatility around the upcoming earnings release.

Execution intelligence

Liquidity and quote conditions

Dollar volume$848.84M
Underlying bid/ask spread1.00%
Option quote coverage97%
Median option spread10.16%
Fundamental intelligence

Business quality context

Factor score32.00
Coverage100%

Business quality and balance-sheet durability

Latest strategy observation

UNH Covered Call signal

Sep 17, 2026 2:45 PM EDT

Covered Call | 2026-09-25 | short $377.50 | $6.63 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$336.83B
P/E (TTM)23.9×
Beta0.54
52-week range$255.97 – $461.62
52-week return8.06%
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 identity3f2fc0e83f73c4e5254ac4a0

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