The following are the top rated Health Care stocks according to Validea's Patient Investor model based on the published strategy of Warren Buffett. This strategy seeks out firms with long-term, predictable profitability and low debt that trade at reasonable valuations.
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC (UNH) is a large-cap growth stock in the Insurance (Accident & Health) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 72% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a healthcare company. The Company has two businesses, Optum and UnitedHealthcare. Optum serves the health care marketplace, including patients and consumers, payers, care providers, employers, governments and life sciences companies. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits designed to simplify the health care experience and make it more affordable for consumers to access care. UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual serves consumers and employers, ranging from sole proprietorships to large, multi-site and national employers and public sector employers. UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement delivers health and well-being benefits to seniors and other Medicare eligible consumers. The Company's segments include Optum Health, Optum Insight, Optum Rx and UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare segment includes UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement and UnitedHealthcare Community & State.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| EARNINGS PREDICTABILITY: | PASS |
| RETURN ON EQUITY: | PASS |
| RETURN ON ASSETS: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| USE OF RETAINED EARNINGS: | PASS |
| SHARE REPURCHASE: | PASS |
| INITIAL RATE OF RETURN: | FAIL |
| EXPECTED RETURN: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC
About Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett is considered by many to be the greatest investor of all time. As the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 for decades, and in the process has become one of the world's richest men. (Forbes puts his net worth at $37 billion.) Despite his fortune, Buffett is known for living a modest lifestyle, by billionaire standards. His primary residence remains the gray stucco Nebraska home he purchased for $31,500 nearly 50 years ago, according to Forbes, and his folksy Midwestern manner and penchant for simple pleasures -- a cherry Coke, a good burger, and a good book are all near the top of the list -- have been well-documented.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
