UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedFirst-quarter earnings beat, medical cost ratio drop, and Medicare Advantage rate increase drove the rebound.

UnitedHealth Group shares have surged roughly 57% since the end of March, recovering from a 62% plunge from their November 2024 all-time high. The stock's collapse was driven by a confluence of factors including the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a spike in Medicare Advantage costs, Medicare funding reductions hitting the Optum division, a Justice Department investigation, and the abrupt resignation of CEO Andrew Witty in May 2025. A pivot to focus on profitability, a first-quarter earnings beat with a medical cost ratio dropping to 83.9%, and a 2.48% Medicare Advantage rate increase for 2027 helped fuel the rebound. However, the price-to-earnings ratio has climbed back to 32, near its 2024 peak, raising valuation concerns.
UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedFirst-quarter earnings beat, medical cost ratio drop, and Medicare Advantage rate increase drove the rebound.