Stocks / UNH
What If You Had Invested in UnitedHealth 10 Years Ago?
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) with real monthly prices, dividends reinvested, through November 2026.
UNH $395.72 ▼ -3.34% last close, Nov 05, 2026
If you had invested $1,000 in UNH in November 2016, today it would be worth
$2,941
Same $1,000 in the S&P 500 (SPY): $3,895
If you had put $500 a month into UNH since November 2016, your $60,500 would be worth today
$83,058
Same plan in the S&P 500 (SPY): $128,888
More options in the What If calculator.
UNH live price chart
UNH returns by period
| Period | Total return | Per year | $1,000 became | SPY per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2026 | $2.3200 | +0.0% | ||
| Jun 15, 2026 | $2.3200 | +5.0% | ||
| Mar 09, 2026 | $2.2100 | +0.0% | ||
| Dec 08, 2025 | $2.2100 | +0.0% | ||
| Sep 15, 2025 | $2.2100 | +0.0% | ||
| Jun 16, 2025 | $2.2100 | +5.2% | ||
| Mar 10, 2025 | $2.1000 | +0.0% | ||
| Dec 09, 2024 | $2.1000 | +0.0% | ||
| Sep 16, 2024 | $2.1000 | +0.0% | ||
| Jun 17, 2024 | $2.1000 | +11.7% | ||
| Mar 08, 2024 | $1.8800 | +0.0% | ||
| Dec 01, 2023 | $1.8800 | — |
UNH year by year
Best full year: 1991 (+220.4%). Worst: 1987 (-56.7%).
| Year | UNH | SPY | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | +22.2% | +8.3% | |
| 2025 | -33.1% | +17.7% | Rising medical costs, a withdrawn forecast and a leadership change sent the stock down sharply. |
| 2024 | -2.4% | +24.9% | |
| 2023 | +0.8% | +26.2% | |
| 2022 | +6.9% | -18.2% | |
| 2021 | +45.2% | +28.7% | |
| 2020 | +21.3% | +18.3% | |
| 2019 | +20.0% | +31.2% | |
| 2018 | +14.5% | -4.6% | |
| 2017 | +39.8% | +21.7% | |
| 2016 | +38.4% | +12.0% | |
| 2015 | +18.3% | +1.2% | |
| 2014 | +36.5% | +13.5% | |
| 2013 | +41.0% | +32.3% | |
| 2012 | +8.6% | +16.0% | |
| 2011 | +42.2% | +1.9% | |
| 2010 | +19.9% | +15.1% | |
| 2009 | +14.8% | +26.4% | |
| 2008 | -54.3% | -36.8% | The global financial crisis. Bank failures and a deep recession made this one of the worst years for stocks since the 1930s. |
| 2007 | +8.4% | +5.1% |
UNH: all at once or every month?
Take $12,000: all of it on day one, or $1,000 a month for a year. Across every starting month since 1985 (491 of them), the lump sum was ahead after 12 months in 362 (74%). The lump sum usually won, but roughly one start in 4 favored spreading it out. The best case for monthly investing was a start in December 2007, when it finished the year 86% ahead.
Worst drop
UNH's worst fall in this history was -75.8%, a near wipe-out, from March 1986 to December 1987. Getting back to the old high took until May 1990: 29 months from the bottom and 4.2 years from the peak. $1,000 invested at that peak shrank to about $242 at the low.
UnitedHealth dividends
UNH paid $9.06 per share over the last 12 months, quarterly. At $395.72 that is 2.29%, a moderate yield. From 2020 to 2025 the yearly payout grew +12.6% a year, well ahead of inflation. The yearly total did not fall once in the last ten years. Amounts are adjusted for splits.
| Year | Dividends / share | Change | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8.73 | +6.7% | 2.64% |
| 2024 | $8.18 | +12.2% | 1.62% |
| 2023 | $7.29 | +13.9% | 1.38% |
| 2022 | $6.40 | +14.3% | 1.21% |
| 2021 | $5.60 | +15.9% | 1.12% |
| 2020 | $4.83 | +16.7% | 1.38% |
| 2019 | $4.14 | +20.0% | 1.41% |
| 2018 | $3.45 | +20.0% | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $2.88 | +21.1% | 1.30% |
| 2016 | $2.38 | +26.7% | 1.48% |
Yield = each year’s dividends divided by the price at the end of the year.
UNH dividend history: last 12 payments
| Ex-dividend date | Amount | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2026 | $2.3200 | +0.0% |
| Jun 15, 2026 | $2.3200 | +5.0% |
| Mar 09, 2026 | $2.2100 | +0.0% |
| Dec 08, 2025 | $2.2100 | +0.0% |
| Sep 15, 2025 | $2.2100 | +0.0% |
| Jun 16, 2025 | $2.2100 | +5.2% |
| Mar 10, 2025 | $2.1000 | +0.0% |
| Dec 09, 2024 | $2.1000 | +0.0% |
| Sep 16, 2024 | $2.1000 | +0.0% |
| Jun 17, 2024 | $2.1000 | +11.7% |
| Mar 08, 2024 | $1.8800 | +0.0% |
| Dec 01, 2023 | $1.8800 | — |
Stock splits
- September 1992: 2-for-1
- March 1994: 2-for-1
- December 2000: 2-for-1
- June 2003: 2-for-1
- May 2005: 2-for-1
One share bought before 1992 is 32 shares today.
About UnitedHealth
| Company | UnitedHealth Group Incorporated |
| Listed | 1984 (NYSE) |
| Sector | Health care (insurance) |
| Dividend | Paid quarterly |
UnitedHealth is the largest U.S. health insurer and, through its Optum unit, a major provider of health care services, pharmacy benefits and data.
For two decades it was one of the steadiest growers in the S&P 500. In 2025 the stock fell sharply as medical costs ran above expectations, the company suspended its outlook and its CEO stepped down, a reminder that even steady stocks can have bad years.
Questions about UNH
How much would $10,000 invested in UNH 20 years ago be worth today?
About $105,699 with dividends reinvested, invested at the November 2006 close: 957.0% in total, or 12.5% a year.
When does UNH pay dividends?
In the last 12 months the payments went out in March, June, September and December, $9.06 per share in total.
Did UNH beat the S&P 500?
Yes. Over the last 20 years it was ahead by 1.9 percentage points a year: +12.5% a year for UNH against +10.6% for SPY, dividends reinvested. It also fell harder at its worst (-75.8% against -50.8% for SPY over the same history).