Key Factors
UnitedHealth Group inventory has given up nearly all of its 12-month positive aspects on account of a cyber assault at its Change Healthcare subsidiary and the announcement of a DOJ probe. 
Whereas traders are promoting the information, just one occasion could carry long-term uncertainty.  
patrons could need to await affirmation of help earlier than venturing into UNH inventory.  
5 shares we like higher than UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group Inc. NYSE: UNH has given up nearly all of its 12-month positive aspects within the final week after two unrelated incidents have rocked the corporate. On the shut of buying and selling on March 1, 2024, UNH inventory had misplaced greater than $25 billion in market worth.  
The medical insurance supplier continues to grapple with the fallout from the cyber assault initiated by the “Blackcat” ransomware gang on its Change Healthcare subsidiary. The assault created important disruptions to digital prescription deliveries in addition to insurance coverage transactions, significantly amongst unbiased healthcare suppliers. Get UnitedHealth Group alerts:Signal Up
The dangerous information saved approaching February 28 when the U.S. Division of Justice (DOJ) introduced that it had launched an investigation into UnitedHealth Groupo over issues about sure relationships between the corporate’s insurance coverage division and its Optum health-services unit. And particularly, how the corporate’s purchases of medical doctors’ teams could have affected rivals.  
For all of the dangerous information, traders can now purchase shares of UNH at six-month lows. Is that this a dip to purchase or a falling knife to keep away from? 
 UnitedHealth Group – Two Completely different Issues 
Traders do not like uncertainty. As unlucky and severe because the cyber assault is, UnitedHealth Group is just not the primary firm, nor will or not it’s the final, to fall prey to those assaults. There is a public coverage dialogue available, however so far as the inventory’s fortunes, this would not look like a motive to promote.  
UnitedHealth Group insists that there isn’t any proof the cyber assault went past Change Healthcare. The corporate can be working carefully with cybersecurity firms equivalent to Palo Alto Networks Inc. NYSE: PANW to analyze this assault. The corporate can be providing momentary funding help to affected suppliers. The Federal investigation is one other matter altogether. United HealthGroup is the nation’s largest Medicare Benefit insurer. Nonetheless, it has repeatedly drawn criticism for denying mandatory care and overcharging taxpayers. This falls in keeping with anti-monopoly campaigners who’ve argued for years that the consolidation within the healthcare business has harmed sufferers by larger prices for worse care.  
Curiously, UnitedHealth Group delivered an optimistic outlook concerning the state of its Medicate Benefit enterprise regardless of the rising prices. The identical could not be stated of competing medical shares equivalent to Humana Inc. NYSE: HUM, and The Cigna Group NYSE: CI, each of which have been wrestling with elevated Medicare Benefit prices.  
 UnitedHealth Group Inventory, One Analyst Stays Bullish 
For the reason that cascade of dangerous information started, a minimum of one analyst has reiterated its bullish opinion of UNH Inventory. The UnitedHealth Group analyst rankings on MarketBeat present that on February 29, 2024, Royal Financial institution of Canada NYSE: RY reiterated its outperform score on the corporate. The financial institution additionally has a $596 value goal for UNH inventory, which is 3% larger than the analysts’ consensus value goal of $575.79.  
Is UnitedHealth Group Inventory a Purchase? 
Early March 4, 2024, technical motion suggests some patrons could also be coming in. Nonetheless, the inventory remains to be down over 1.3% in morning buying and selling and is at a key help stage. If it fails to carry at round $480, it is not unthinkable that UNH inventory might drift near the $460 vary it hit in early summer season.  
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