UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH) property it has gone all the way back down to that level By Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B), established its 2025 location.
In particular, Berkshire got it 5,039,564 shares of UnitedHealth in the second quarter of 2025, a new value of $1.57 billion when the position was disclosed in August.
At the end of June 2025, after the quarter closed, UnitedHealth shares ended at $311. By press time, the stock was trading at $259, a drop of about 17%.
To that end, the decline has produced an unaccounted loss of $267 million for the position from the closing price of June 30.
Indeed, Berkshire bought the shares sometime between April and June 2025. The exact transaction prices were not disclosed in controls notes, but the purchase took place when UnitedHealth was already in deep trouble and traded below 2024 above $600.
The money it marked Berkshire’s first ownership of the health insurer since it sold its former stake in 2010 after forming the first estate in late 2006.
UNH stock crisis
In particular, UnitedHealth’s odds rose in 2025 and triggered the opening of Buffett’s bet.
The company’s medical coverage ratio rose from the mid-80% range to about 89% as claims rose more than expected, driven by higher use of care that was suspended after the pandemic and higher revenue in its Medicare Advantage business.
UnitedHealth has repeatedly lowered its 2025 guidance, halted the forecast entirely in May, and ultimately delivered results below Wall Street estimates.
At the same time, the chief executive, Andrew Witty, stepped down for his own reasons and was replaced by former chief executive Stephen Hemsley.
Adding to the pressure, the Justice Department opened an investigation into Medicare fraud and billing practices at the Medicare Advantage company, following a recent investigation.
Overall, the combination of rising healthcare costs, regulatory scrutiny, and repeated earnings disappointments wiped out a third of UnitedHealth’s market value in 2025 and left the stock vulnerable even after Berkshire’s acquisition.
