10 Defensive Stocks Billionaire Ken Fisher Is Betting On

4. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)

Beta Value: 0.52

Dividend Yield: 1.60%

Fisher Asset Management’s Q4 Stake: $1.73 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 150

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is a renowned US multinational firm that offers managed healthcare and insurance services. The firm is divided into four key segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx.

On April 4, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed its Overweight rating on UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) , with a price target of $700. Sarah James, the firm’s analyst, expressed confidence in UnitedHealth’s performance, predicting that it will outperform its 2025 estimate. James expects that the company’s financial projection will be revised upward, most likely in the second or third quarter of 2025, rather than the first quarter.

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)  posted solid results for fiscal year 2024, which exceeded market forecasts. Revenue climbed by 8% to $400 billion, owing to a broad expansion of its service offerings. During 2024, the company returned more than $16 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks.

Vulcan Value Partners stated the following regarding UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:

“UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), a company that we have owned several times in the past, is the largest health insurer in the United States. UnitedHealth Group also owns Optum, which is a rapidly growing healthcare services company. The environment for the health insurance business remains positive as growth in healthcare spending, driven by chronic diseases and an aging population, will continue to outpace overall economic growth. The insurance business benefits from powerful network effects as more members attract more providers and vice versa, which reinforces United’s value proposition and bargaining power with each side of the network. We respect UnitedHealth Group’s management team and have been very pleased with their long-term vision and execution.”