Stock · Health insurance
UnitedHealth real return vs inflation and money printing UNH
UnitedHealth Group Inc. The largest US health insurer, which also runs pharmacy and healthcare services businesses.
Key numbers
- 1-month change
- -0.3%
- Volatility (30-day, annualised)
- 19.6%
UnitedHealth real return after inflation and money printing
In dollars and pounds, before and after inflation, since Jan 1985.
+702%UnitedHealth after US inflation since 201013.2% a year
Up 1,144% in dollars since 2010. After US inflation, up 702%. Against money printing, up 354%.
In pounds, up 1,420%, or up 832% after UK inflation.
- $ nominal
- +1,144%16.2% a year
- £ nominal
- +1,420%17.5% a year
- Real $ (US CPI)
- +702%13.2% a year
- Real £ (UK CPI)
- +832%14.2% a year
- vs US M2
- +354%9.4% a year
- Measured from
- Dec 2009to Oct 2026, 16 years 10 months
- UnitedHealth, Real $ (US CPI)$379.30
- $ nominal$379.30
- Oct 2026, latest
Loading the chart. Every figure is also in the table below.
| Period | $ nominal | £ nominal | Real $ (US CPI) | Real £ (UK CPI) | vs US M2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past year from Oct 2025 | +11.0% | +10.3% | –a (see note a) | +7.4% | +5.8% |
| 5 years from Oct 2021 | −17.6% −3.8% a year | −14.8% −3.2% a year | −32.0% −7.4% a year | −32.6% −7.6% a year | −25.3% −5.7% a year |
| Since 2020 from Dec 2019 | +29.0% 3.8% a year | +29.4% 3.8% a year | −1.0% −0.2% a year | −2.3% −0.3% a year | −15.1% −2.4% a year |
| 10 years from Oct 2016 | +168% 10.4% a year | +148% 9.5% a year | +93.7% 6.8% a year | +74.5% 5.7% a year | +50.9% 4.2% a year |
| Since 2010 from Dec 2009 | +1,144% 16.2% a year | +1,420% 17.5% a year | +702% 13.2% a year | +832% 14.2% a year | +354% 9.4% a year |
| Since 2000 from Dec 1999 | +5,612% 16.3% a year | +6,870% 17.1% a year | +2,770% 13.3% a year | +3,424% 14.2% a year | +1,035% 9.5% a year |
| Since Jan 1985 first month in our data | +194,101% 19.9% a year | +165,794% 19.4% a year | +61,063% 16.6% a year | +49,269% 16.0% a year | +19,302% 13.4% a year |
- a US CPI was not published for Oct 2025.
How these figures are worked out
Sources, inflation measures and what is left out
- Month-end closes from Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq, Jan 1985 to Oct 2026. Oct 2026 is still in progress, so its figure is the latest close rather than a month-end. Our history for UnitedHealth starts in Jan 1985, so longer windows are left out.
- Real figures divide by US CPI (BLS, via FRED) or UK CPI (ONS, joined to the ONS long-run RPI before Jan 1988) and are stated in Oct 2026 money. The M2 lens divides by the US M2 money supply (Federal Reserve, via FRED). Pounds convert at each month's GBP/USD rate.
- US CPI is published with a lag: Oct 2026 uses the Aug 2026 figure.
- UK CPI is published with a lag: Oct 2026 uses the Aug 2026 figure.
- US M2 is published with a lag: Oct 2026 uses the Aug 2026 figure.
- Price returns only: dividends are not included, so the total return to a holder who reinvested them was higher.
- A return of 12 months or more also shows its yearly rate. Gaps in a source are left as gaps and never filled in.
UnitedHealth price history, past year
Daily closes from Nasdaq. Last refreshed .
Where UnitedHealth stands today
52-week range
- Below the high
- 13.3%
- Above the low
- 46.0%
UnitedHealth sits in the middle part of its range, 46.0% above the $259.02 low from 27 Mar 2026 and 13.3% below the $436.35 high from 21 Jul 2026. About 65% of the year's daily closes were lower than today's price.
Moving averages
- 50-day$387.72 -2.5%
- 200-day$358.05 +5.6%
Price compared with each average. Bars to the right mean the price is above it.
UnitedHealth has slipped 2.5% below its 50-day average but is still 5.6% above the 200-day, which tells us the recent dip hasn't yet broken the longer uptrend. The 50-day line has stayed above the 200-day on every day since 24 Jun 2026, as far back as our data lets us check.
Trend score
- Trend70
- Momentum44
- RSI score71
- Drawdown73
- Uptrend
- 65 or more
- Sideways
- 36 to 64
- Downtrend
- 35 or less
Rules-based, from 277 daily prices. It describes the trend so far and does not predict the next move. How it works.
UnitedHealth performance and biggest moves
Returns over time
| Period | UNH | SPY | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week | +0.5% | -0.1% | +0.6 pts |
| 1 month | -0.3% | +1.9% | −2.1 pts |
| 3 months | -9.7% | +3.1% | −12.8 pts |
| Year to date | +14.5% | +14.2% | +0.4 pts |
| 1 year | +5.4% | +17.4% | −12.0 pts |
UnitedHealth is up 5.4% over the past year on price alone, against +17.4% for the S&P 500 (through the SPY fund), so it has trailed that comparison by 12.0 percentage points. Dividends are not included, so the total return for holders would be a little higher.
Best and worst days in the past year
- Days that closed higher
- 47%
- Moves of 3% or more
- 17
The biggest one-day rise since 13 Oct 2025 came on 7 Apr 2026 (+9.4%) and the sharpest fall on 27 Jan 2026 (−19.6%). Of the 251 trading days in that period, 47% closed higher than the day before and 17 moved by 3% or more in one direction or the other.
Is UnitedHealth overbought, and how volatile is it?
RSI (14-day)
Neutral- Sessions at 70+ (past year)
- 26
- Sessions at 30 or lower
- 3
UnitedHealth's RSI of 48.3 is near the middle of the scale, which tells us the up and down days of the last three weeks have more or less cancelled each other out. For context, it last went above 70 on 26 Jun 2026 and last fell below 30 on 5 Feb 2026.
Volatility against other US shares
9th calmest of 27- Typical daily move
- 1.2%
- Calmest in group
- BRK.B 10.8%
UnitedHealth's 30-day volatility is 19.6%, which works out at a move of roughly 1.2% on an ordinary day. That makes it the 9th calmest of the 27 US shares we track, below the group median of 23.3%. One very large day, such as an earnings release or a sudden sell-off, can lift a 30-day figure for weeks, so we would read the ranking as this month's picture.
UnitedHealth compared with similar assets
| Asset | Price | Today | 1 month | 1 year | RSI | Trend score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNHUnitedHealth | $378.11 | +0.12% | -0.3% | +5.4% | 48 | 61 Sideways |
| LLYEli Lilly | $1,167.61 | +0.05% | +4.7% | +42.5% | 50 | 70 Uptrend |
| JNJJohnson & Johnson | $249.54 | +0.37% | -6.0% | +30.7% | 35 | 52 Sideways |
| JPMJPMorgan | $332.00 | +0.13% | -6.8% | +7.8% | 38 | 52 Sideways |
Over the past year Eli Lilly has done best in this group (+42.5%) and UnitedHealth has been the weakest (+5.4%). UnitedHealth comes 4th of 4, 37.1 percentage points behind Eli Lilly.
About UnitedHealth
UnitedHealth runs UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the US, and Optum, which covers pharmacy benefits, clinics and data services. Its shares respond to medical cost trends and US health policy.
- Ticker
- UNH
- Type
- Stock
- Sector
- Health insurance
- Priced in
- USD
Third-party market headlines
Headlines from outside publishers, linked to their sites. We don't write or endorse them.
- TECHNOLOGY Is it OK for jobseekers or employers to use AI?
- TECHNOLOGY Chip stocks suffer worst stretch in 16 months as AI fatigue grips the market
- STOCKS The SpaceX threat could loom over AT&T’s stock for a prolonged stretch, analyst cautions
- STOCKS Six Flags’ stock slumps near 17-year low after fatal incident
- STOCKS AST SpaceMobile’s stock is feeling the heat from SpaceX’s wireless plans
- TECHNOLOGY Was Broadcom CEO bullish or bearish on AI? ‘Gamblers’ comment creates storm.
UnitedHealth: questions people ask
Answers are built from the same live figures shown above, so they change as the price does. Last checked 14 Oct 2026.
Has UnitedHealth beaten inflation since 2010?
Yes. From the December 2009 close to October 2026, UnitedHealth went up 1,144% in dollars. US consumer prices rose 55.1% over the same months, which leaves a real gain of 702%, or 13.2% a year after inflation. A UK holder counting in pounds saw up 1,420%, which comes to up 832% once UK CPI is taken out. These are price returns: dividends are not included, so a holder who reinvested them did better.
How has UnitedHealth done against money printing?
The US M2 money supply grew 174% since 2010. M2 counts the cash, current accounts and savings deposits held in the US, so it measures how much new money was created rather than how much shop prices rose. Against it, UnitedHealth is up 354%.
What is UnitedHealth's real return over 10 years?
Over the 10 years to October 2026, UnitedHealth returned 168% in dollars (10.4% a year). After US inflation that is up 93.7%, 6.8% a year. In pounds after UK inflation it is up 74.5%.
What is the UnitedHealth share price today?
The last price we have for UnitedHealth is $378.11, up 0.1% on the day, as of 23:55 BST on 13 Oct 2026. We get US prices from Nasdaq and during trading hours they can be up to 15 minutes behind, so if you are about to trade you'll want the live quote from your broker rather than ours. Over the last month the shares have moved −0.3% and over the last year +5.4%.
Is UnitedHealth stock overbought right now?
No, or at least not on the 14-day RSI, which reads 48.3 at the moment. We'd only start calling UnitedHealth overbought above 70 and it hasn't been there since 26 Jun 2026, while the last time it went the other way and dropped below 30 was 5 Feb 2026. RSI looks back over 14 sessions and asks how much of the movement was up and how much was down, so a reading in the 30s or 40s mostly tells us the past few weeks have been fairly even. UnitedHealth spent 26 sessions at 70 or above in the past year, which is one reason we don't treat a high reading as a cue to sell: in a strong run it can stay there for weeks.
How far is UnitedHealth from its 52-week high?
About 13.3%, so it would need to rise 15.4% to get back there. The highest close in the past year was $436.35 on 21 Jul 2026 and the lowest was $259.02 on 27 Mar 2026, which puts today's price 67% of the way up that range. We work this out from daily closing prices rather than the intraday highs and lows an exchange reports, so our high can be a little lower than the one you'll see quoted elsewhere.
Is UnitedHealth above its 200-day moving average?
It is. UnitedHealth's last price of $378.11 is 5.6% above its 200-day average of $358.05, and the 50-day average of $387.72 is above the 200-day as well, which has been true on every day since 24 Jun 2026, as far back as our data goes. We show the 200-day line because it averages about ten months of closing prices, so a single bad week hardly moves it, and when we look at a chart it's the quickest way to see whether a share has been rising or falling over the longer run, even if it can't tell us where the price goes from here.
How volatile is UnitedHealth stock?
Over the past 30 days UnitedHealth's annualised volatility has been 19.6%. If that number feels abstract, it works out at roughly a 1.2% move on an ordinary day. It is the 9th calmest of the 27 US shares we track and the median for the group is 23.3%, so at the moment it is calmer than most of them. The biggest single-day swings of the past year were +9.4% on 7 Apr 2026 and −19.6% on 27 Jan 2026.
Important information
Capital at risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Educational information only, not financial advice. Read our disclaimer.
UnitedHealth: what the numbers say
Claude Haiku ·UnitedHealth closed at $377.21 today, down 0.35% with the US market open. The shares sit 13.6% below their 52-week closing high of $436.35, reached on 21 July, and 45.6% above the closing low of $259.02 recorded on 27 March. They trade below the 50-day average of $387.70 but remain above the 200-day average of $358.04.
Read the full summary Show less
The trend score stands at 61, labelled Sideways, with the trend component at 70 and momentum at 43. The 14-day RSI is 47.5, which places momentum near the middle of its range, and 30-day volatility is 19.6% annualised. Over 30 days the shares have slipped 0.5%, yet they are up 5.17% over the year. Among related names today, Johnson & Johnson fell 5.63%, Eli Lilly dropped 2% and JPMorgan edged down 0.08%.
Written by AI from this site's live data and checked figure by figure before publishing. Educational only, not financial advice.