<p>High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), and it's important for retail traders to take note.
\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in UNH often signals that someone has privileged information.</p>
<p>Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 17 options trades for UnitedHealth Group. This is not a typical pattern.</p>
<p>The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 23% bullish and 70% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $118,560, and 16 calls, totaling $844,759.</p>
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
<p>After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $190.0 and $560.0 for UnitedHealth Group, spanning the last three months.</p>
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
<p>Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for UnitedHealth Group's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of UnitedHealth Group's whale trades within a strike price range from $190.0 to $560.0 in the last 30 days. </p>
<h3>UnitedHealth Group 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2026/1768489300_0.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Options Call Chart" width="1500" height="800" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2026/1768489300_0.png"/></p>

<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>
<p></p><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$5.0</td>
<td>$4.3</td>
<td>$4.8</td>
<td>$335.00</td>
<td>$118.5K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
<td align="right">258</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/23/26</td>
<td>$7.35</td>
<td>$7.05</td>
<td>$7.11</td>
<td>$330.00</td>
<td>$105.6K</td>
<td>260</td>
<td align="right">169</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/20/26</td>
<td>$21.0</td>
<td>$20.0</td>
<td>$21.0</td>
<td>$330.00</td>
<td>$84.0K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
<td align="right">125</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/20/26</td>
<td>$23.0</td>
<td>$20.0</td>
<td>$20.63</td>
<td>$330.00</td>
<td>$82.5K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
<td align="right">62</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/20/26</td>
<td>$19.35</td>
<td>$18.0</td>
<td>$18.0</td>
<td>$340.00</td>
<td>$81.0K</td>
<td>2.3K</td>
<td align="right">45</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><p></p>
<h3>About UnitedHealth Group</h3>
<p>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 2024. 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 both affiliated and third-party customers.</p>
<p>Following our analysis of the options activities associated with UnitedHealth Group, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.</p>
<h3>Current Position of UnitedHealth Group</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 1,018,318, the price of UNH is down -1.68% at $329.32. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 12 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on UnitedHealth Group</h3>
<p>1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $391.0.</p>
<ul>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Overweight rating for UnitedHealth Group, targeting a price of $391. </li>
</ul>
<p>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.</p>

<p>High-rolling investors are bearish on UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), with 70% of options trades indicating a negative sentiment. Benzinga's options scanner identified 17 trades, including one put worth $118,560 and 16 calls totaling $844,759. Major market movers are focusing on a price range between $190.0 and $560.0. Currently, UNH is priced at $329.32, down 1.68%. Analysts maintain a consensus target price of $391.0, with Barclays holding an Overweight rating. Options trading carries risks but can yield higher profits with strategic adjustments and market awareness.</p>

UnitedHealth Group Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment