Operating

Operating Cash Flow

UnitedHealth Group Operating Cash Flow increased by 704.3% to $8.91B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 63.3%, from $5.46B to $8.91B. Over 2 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows a downward trend with a -6.1% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.

Analysis

StatementCash Flow Statement
SectionOperating
CategoryEfficiency
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026May 5, 2026

How to read this metric

An increase indicates strong operational efficiency and cash generation, while a decrease may signal operational challenges or issues with working capital management.

Detailed definition

This metric represents the total cash generated or consumed by a company's core business operations during a specific pe...

Peer comparison

Standard across all industries; peers in the medical device and diagnostics sector typically maintain high conversion ratios of net income to operating cash flow.

Metric ID: net_cash_from_operating

Historical Data

18 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Value$5.54B$7.58B$3.22B$5.32B$6.87B$18.55B$16.33B$11.03B$6.90B$1.14B$6.75B$13.95B$2.37B$5.46B$7.19B$5.95B$1.11B$8.91B
QoQ Change+36.8%-57.5%+65.3%+29.2%+170.0%-12.0%-32.4%-37.4%-83.4%+489.7%+106.7%-83.0%+130.3%+31.7%-17.3%-81.4%+704.3%
YoY Change+24.0%+144.7%+207.0%+60.6%-62.8%-93.0%-38.9%+102.0%+376.9%+6.6%-57.4%-53.2%+63.3%
Range$1.11B$18.55B
CAGR+11.8%
Avg YoY Growth+52.3%
Median YoY Growth+24.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UnitedHealth Group's operating cash flow?
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported operating cash flow of $8.91B in Q1 2026.
How has UnitedHealth Group's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
UnitedHealth Group's operating cash flow increased by 63.3% year-over-year, from $5.46B to $8.91B.
What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's operating cash flow?
Over 2 years (2021 to 2025), UnitedHealth Group's operating cash flow has grown at a -6.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $22.34B to $19.70B.
What does operating cash flow mean?
The amount of cash a company generates from its regular business activities.