Free cash flow
UnitedHealth Group Free cash flow decreased by 96.8% to $160.00M in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 89.0%, from $1.46B to $160.00M. Over 2 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Free cash flow shows a downward trend with a -10.1% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase suggests strong operational efficiency and the ability to self-fund future innovation or return capital to shareholders, while a decrease may indicate heavy capital expenditure cycles or declining operational profitability.
Detailed definition
Free cash flow represents the cash generated by a company after accounting for cash outflows to support operations and m...
Peer comparison
High-growth semiconductor and AI infrastructure peers typically prioritize reinvestment, so free cash flow margins are often compared against R&D intensity and capital expenditure requirements of industry rivals.
cf_free_cash_flowHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $4.98B | $6.95B | $2.52B | $4.76B | $6.21B | $17.83B | $15.57B | $10.20B | $6.06B | $401.00M | $5.89B | $12.95B | $1.46B | $4.56B | $6.30B | $5.06B | $160.00M |
| QoQ Change | — | +39.6% | -63.7% | +88.8% | +30.4% | +186.9% | -12.7% | -34.5% | -40.6% | -93.4% | >999% | +119.8% | -88.8% | +212.8% | +38.3% | -19.8% | -96.8% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +24.8% | +156.4% | +226.8% | +64.2% | -66.0% | -97.4% | -42.2% | +113.6% | — | >999% | +6.9% | -61.0% | -89.0% |
Free cash flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is UnitedHealth Group's free cash flow?
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported free cash flow of $160.00M in Q4 2025.
- How has UnitedHealth Group's free cash flow changed year-over-year?
- UnitedHealth Group's free cash flow decreased by 89.0% year-over-year, from $1.46B to $160.00M.
- What is the long-term trend for UnitedHealth Group's free cash flow?
- Over 2 years (2021 to 2025), UnitedHealth Group's free cash flow has grown at a -10.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $19.89B to $16.08B.
- What does free cash flow mean?
- The cash a company has left over after paying for its operating expenses and capital investments.