Buyback yield (TTM)
4.89%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
8.14%
5Y share count change
-5.3%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$12.03B
Cumulative buybacks
$95.17B
Key takeaways
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) repurchased about $12.03B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 5.3% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 12.74× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +5.5% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 103% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Latest: $5.54B
Overview
In 2025, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) buyback spend totalled $5.54B – plunged 38.4% year-over-year.
Across 2020–2025 (5 years), UnitedHealth Group buyback spend produced a CAGR of +5.5% – with mixed annual results across the window.
UnitedHealth Group buyback spend plunged from $9.00B in 2024 to $5.54B in 2025, a 38.4% drawdown.
$9.00B stands as the all-time-high annual buyback spend, posted in 2024, against a low of $0.00 during 1989.
UnitedHealth Group Buyback Spend 2025: $5.54B
In 2025, UnitedHealth Group reported buyback spend of $5.54B, plunged 38.4% below 2024.
UnitedHealth Group Buyback Spend 2024: $9.00B
UnitedHealth Group buyback spend in 2024 was $9.00B, grew 12.5% from 2023. This figure represents the highest annual value in the available history.
UnitedHealth Group Buyback Spend 2023: $8.00B
2023's buyback spend for UnitedHealth Group came in at $8.00B, grew 14.3% from 2022.
UnitedHealth Group Buyback Spend 2022: $7.00B
UnitedHealth Group posted buyback spend of $7.00B in 2022, surged 40.0% from 2021.
UnitedHealth Group Buyback Spend 2021: $5.00B
UnitedHealth Group buyback spend in 2021 was $5.00B.
See more financial history for UnitedHealth Group (UNH).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $5.54B | $971.00M | $4.57B | 1.85% | 0.91B | -2.0% | |
| 2024 | $9.00B | $1.02B | $7.98B | 1.92% | 0.93B | -1.0% | |
| 2023 | $8.00B | $1.06B | $6.94B | 1.64% | 0.94B | -1.3% | |
| 2022 | $7.00B | $925.00M | $6.08B | 1.41% | 0.95B | -0.6% | |
| 2021 | $5.00B | $800.00M | $4.20B | 1.06% | 0.96B | -0.5% | |
| 2020 | $4.25B | $679.00M | $3.57B | 1.28% | 0.96B | -0.5% | |
| 2019 | $5.50B | $697.00M | $4.80B | 1.97% | 0.97B | -1.7% | |
| 2018 | $4.50B | $638.00M | $3.86B | 1.88% | 0.98B | -0.2% | |
| 2017 | $1.50B | $597.00M | $903.00M | 0.70% | 0.98B | +1.8% | |
| 2016 | $1.28B | $485.00M | $795.00M | 0.84% | 0.97B | +0.1% | |
| 2015 | $1.20B | $406.00M | $794.00M | 1.07% | 0.97B | -1.9% | |
| 2014 | $4.01B | $364.00M | $3.64B | 4.16% | 0.99B | -3.6% | |
| 2013 | $3.17B | $331.00M | $2.84B | 4.26% | 1.02B | -2.2% | |
| 2012 | $3.08B | $421.00M | $2.66B | 5.58% | 1.05B | -3.8% | |
| 2011 | $2.99B | $401.00M | $2.59B | 5.58% | 1.09B | -3.9% | |
| 2010 | $2.52B | $326.00M | $2.19B | 6.38% | 1.13B | -4.1% | |
| 2009 | $1.80B | $334.00M | $1.47B | 5.12% | 1.18B | -5.0% | |
| 2008 | $2.68B | $305.00M | $2.38B | 8.44% | 1.24B | -8.8% | |
| 2007 | $6.60B | $505.00M | $6.09B | 8.91% | 1.36B | -2.9% | |
| 2006 | $2.35B | $404.00M | $1.94B | 3.25% | 1.40B | +5.2% | |
| 2005 | $2.56B | $0.00 | $2.56B | 3.24% | 1.33B | +1.3% | |
| 2004 | $3.45B | $0.00 | $3.45B | 6.01% | 1.32B | +6.6% | |
| 2003 | $1.61B | $0.00 | $1.61B | 4.70% | 1.24B | -2.7% | |
| 2002 | $1.81B | $0.00 | $1.81B | 7.20% | 1.27B | -2.7% | |
| 2001 | $1.13B | $0.00 | $1.13B | 5.15% | 1.30B | -3.1% | |
| 2000 | $1.18B | $0.00 | $1.18B | — | 1.35B | -5.2% | |
| 1999 | $983.00M | $0.00 | $983.00M | — | 1.42B | -6.9% | |
| 1998 | $436.00M | $0.00 | $436.00M | — | 1.52B | -0.2% | |
| 1997 | $16.00M | $0.00 | $16.00M | — | 1.53B | +2.8% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.49B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $22.50M | $0.00 | $22.50M | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$5.54B
- 2024$9.00B
- 2023$8.00B
- 2022$7.00B
- 2021$5.00B
- 2020$4.25B
- 2019$5.50B
- 2018$4.50B
- 2017$1.50B
- 2016$1.28B
- 2015$1.20B
- 2014$4.01B
- 2013$3.17B
- 2012$3.08B
- 2011$2.99B
- 2010$2.52B
- 2009$1.80B
- 2008$2.68B
- 2007$6.60B
- 2006$2.35B
- 2005$2.56B
- 2004$3.45B
- 2003$1.61B
- 2002$1.81B
- 2001$1.13B
- 2000$1.18B
- 1999$983.00M
- 1998$436.00M
- 1997$16.00M
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$0.00
- 1990$22.50M
- 1989$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 12.74×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
How UnitedHealth Group splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as UnitedHealth Group, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $5.95B | |
| $5.08B | |
| $4.11B | |
| $3.00B | |
| $980.00M | |
| $216.35M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $5.95B
- $5.08B
- $4.11B
- $980.00M
- $216.35M
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $11.66B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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