UnitedHealth share price, stock crash today. Another big blow for company after murder of insurance unit head Brian Thompson

UnitedHealth stocks on Thursday fell after the company reported adjusted earnings of $7.20 per share, also below expectations of $7.29 per share. Shares were down nearly 23 per cent by midday on heavy trading.

UnitedHealth Group surprised investors with what its CEO said was an "unusual and unacceptable" quarterly earnings miss, and it lowered its outlook for the full year due to higher-than-expected medical costs, sparking a more than 20 per cent selloff in shares that reverberated across the sector.

The company's first earnings miss since 2008 and accompanying bleak forecast sent investors to the exits, as they were hoping the U.S. insurer would maintain its profit outlook on expectations that demand for medical services would be similar to 2024.

Health Insurance Stocks Are Down

UnitedHealth Group now expects 2025 adjusted profit per share to be between $26 and $26.50 per share, compared with its prior forecast of $29.50 to $30 per share. Analysts were expecting a profit of $29.73 per share for 2025, according to LSEG data.

The insurer's stock had rallied nearly 12 per cent in the 10 days leading up to Thursday's results. Industry peers Elevance, CVS Health, Cigna, Centene and Humana were down between 1 per cent and 6 per cent. Elevance reports its quarterly results on April 22.

Health insurance stocks had a rough 2024, hurt by lower government payments, elevated medical costs and public backlash against the sector after the murder of a UnitedHealth insurance unit head, Brian Thompson, late last year.

Thompson's fatal shooting also unleashed a social media storm of patient dissatisfaction and ire over the health insurance industry's practices, adding to the company's woes. However, insurer stocks have performed better in the past months despite a market rout triggered by escalating worries over President Donald Trump's tariffs.

FAQs

Q1. What was name of dead UnitedHealth CEO?
A1. The name of dead UnitedHealth CEO is Brian Thompson.

Q2. What does UnitedHealth Group expect?
A2. UnitedHealth Group now expects 2025 adjusted profit per share to be between $26 and $26.50 per share.