Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with UNH, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did?
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 11 uncommon options trades for UnitedHealth Group.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 36% bullish and 36%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $421,530, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $540,106.
Projected Price Targets
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $350.0 to $700.0 for UnitedHealth Group over the last 3 months.
Volume & Open Interest Development
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for UnitedHealth Group options trades today is 725.67 with a total volume of 535.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for UnitedHealth Group's big money trades within a strike price range of $350.0 to $700.0 over the last 30 days.
UnitedHealth Group Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Noteworthy Options Activity:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNH | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $114.15 | $110.1 | $111.45 | $500.00 | $300.9K | 2.0K | 7 |
| UNH | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $13.5 | $13.0 | $13.0 | $590.00 | $293.8K | 1.1K | 275 |
| UNH | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 12/06/24 | $1.71 | $1.6 | $1.6 | $630.00 | $95.6K | 407 | 5 |
| UNH | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $114.25 | $109.65 | $111.35 | $500.00 | $44.5K | 2.0K | 7 |
| UNH | PUT | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $64.9 | $58.65 | $62.95 | $630.00 | $37.7K | 16 | 6 |
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers, providing medical benefits to about 50 million members globally, including 1 million outside the us as June 2024. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in managed care. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's continued investments in its Optum franchises have created a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from medical and pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with UnitedHealth Group, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
Current Position of UnitedHealth Group
- With a volume of 1,011,833, the price of UNH is down -0.05% at $608.23.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 38 days.
What Analysts Are Saying About UnitedHealth Group
In the last month, 2 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $640.0.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access. * An analyst from Deutsche Bank has decided to maintain their Buy rating on UnitedHealth Group, which currently sits at a price target of $625. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Overweight rating for UnitedHealth Group, targeting a price of $655.
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for UnitedHealth Group with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.
