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Shares Outstanding (EOP) are shares that have been authorized, issued, and purchased by investors and are held by them.
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past five years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. A positive ratio may indicate share buybacks over the period, while a zero or negative ratio may reflect no repurchases or potential share issuance. UnitedHealth Group's current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio was 0.90%.
XSWX:UNH's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is ranked better than 50% of 16
companies
in the Healthcare Plans industry
Industry Median: 0.9
vs XSWX:UNH: 0.90
UnitedHealth Group (XSWX:UNH) 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Explanation
A negative number means the company might be issuing new shares. A positive number indicates that the company is buying back shares.
Be Aware
Investors usually like share buybacks. But as pointed by Warren Buffett, only if a company buys back shares at the prices below the stock's intrinsic value, it rewards remaining shareholders. If a company buys its overvalued stocks back, it destroys shareholder value.
UnitedHealth Group 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Related Terms
XSWX:UNH vs CVS, ELV, CI: 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Comparison
For the Healthcare Plans subindustry, UnitedHealth Group's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
UnitedHealth Group 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio vs Healthcare Plans Industry
For the Healthcare Plans industry and Healthcare sector, UnitedHealth Group's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where UnitedHealth Group's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio falls into.
UnitedHealth Group 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Calculation
This is the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. The annualized percentage change is calculated with least-square regression based on the latest six years of annual data on Shares Outstanding (EOP).
Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the average dividends per share growth rate.
What does a 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 0.90 mean?
UnitedHealth Group (XSWX:UNH) has a 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 0.90 as of Jun. 2026. The 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past five years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. View historical data for UnitedHealth Group and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, UnitedHealth Group ranks #8 out of 16 companies in the Healthcare Plans industry, placing it in the top 50%.
Is UnitedHealth Group's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio too high?
UnitedHealth Group's current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90. The Healthcare Plans industry median 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90. UnitedHealth Group's value of 0.90 is 0% at this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, UnitedHealth Group ranks #8 out of 16 companies in the Healthcare Plans industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, UnitedHealth Group has a GF Score™ of 78/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does UnitedHealth Group's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio compare to CVS and ELV?
According to the Healthcare Plans industry distribution chart, UnitedHealth Group ranks #8 out of 16 companies for 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio. This puts UnitedHealth Group in the upper half of its industry. The industry median 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90. UnitedHealth Group's value of 0.90 is 0% at this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio for a Healthcare Plans company?
The median 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio among Healthcare Plans companies is 0.90, based on 16 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. UnitedHealth Group's current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 0.90 is 0% at the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio mean?
A high 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past five years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. View historical data for UnitedHealth Group and its competitors. For the Healthcare Plans industry, the median 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. UnitedHealth Group's current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is UnitedHealth Group stock overvalued right now?
UnitedHealth Group (XSWX:UNH) has a current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio of 0.90. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF477.98, compared to a current price of CHF310.35 — trading 35.1% below its estimated fair value. The current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90 and 0% at the Healthcare Plans industry median of 0.90. UnitedHealth Group's overall GF Score™ is 78/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio calculated?
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For UnitedHealth Group (XSWX:UNH), the current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is 0.90 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is UnitedHealth Group (XSWX:UNH) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, UnitedHealth Group stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of CHF310.35 is trading 35.1% below its estimated GF Value™ of CHF477.98.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:UNH:
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio: 0.90
GF Value™: CHF477.98 vs. price of CHF310.35 (35.1% below fair value)
Industry Position: 0% at the Healthcare Plans median (#8 of 16)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:UNH stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers and provides medical benefits to about 51 million members globally, including 1 million outside the US as of December 2025. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in medical insurance. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's Optum franchises help create a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to affiliates and third parties.
78GF Score
Get the complete analysis for XSWX:UNH
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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