Berkshire Hathaway has sold off more than 5 million shares in UnitedHealth Group less than a year after acquiring them, according to a May 15 regulatory filing.
In August, Berkshire disclosed it had purchased the shares during the second quarter of 2025 for approximately $1.6 billion, when UnitedHealth’s stock had fallen nearly 50% amid federal investigations into its Medicare Advantage business, leadership upheaval and the aftermath of the December 2024 killing of former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On May 18, UnitedHealth’s stock price fell nearly 2% following the latest disclosure.
Berkshire’s original investment came as UnitedHealth was working to stabilize investor confidence following the turbulent stretch last year. CEO Stephen Hemsley, who returned to lead the company after Andrew Witty’s departure in May 2025, told investors last summer that UnitedHealth had made “pricing and operational mistakes” and was shifting to a “tone of change and reform.”
UnitedHealth has since shown signs of recovery. The company reported $6.28 billion in profit for the first quarter of 2026 and raised its full-year adjusted earnings outlook to more than $18.25 per share. Shares closed at $391 on May 18, below the stock’s all-time high of $603 reached in November 2024.
Berkshire did not disclose a reason for the sale.
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