We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Fundamental Stocks to Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) stands against other best fundamental stocks.
As per Ameriprise Financial, the broader stock market continued to climb in Q3 2024, despite surprises that occurred on the way. Particularly, the stocks were resilient during September. In July, weaker-than-anticipated jobs data raised concerns that the US labor trends have been slowing faster than expected. As a result, there were worries that the US Fed left the rates too high for too long. Furthermore, in August, an unexpected increase in the rate from the Bank of Japan weighed over the global stocks for a brief period.
Moving forward, the results of the US Presidential election are likely to decide the course of the broader market in 2025. As per Fidelity Investments, the November election outcomes should shape the economic policy debate in 2025. Some of the examples of proposals from the Republican party consist of corporate tax cuts and lower regulatory pressures on some industries, but elevated tariffs and tighter immigration restrictions can be inflationary. Democratic party proposals consist of a focus on increasing taxes to finance public spending.
Fidelity Investments added that the fiscal deficit is expected to remain large over the upcoming several years (6%–7% of GDP), with interest payments grabbing an even larger share of the overall federal budget.
Q4 2024: What Lies Ahead?
Ameriprise Financial believes that, economically, the US consumer and business activity has demonstrated signs of healthy moderation in Q3, with inflation ebbing lower and labor/spending/savings trends slowing but staying firm throughout the quarter. The corporate profits saw a healthy growth in H1 2024 and this trend is likely to continue in H2 2024. The labor conditions are expected to remain healthy. Overall, the investment firm believes that the macroeconomic backdrop might remain strong and supportive for asset prices in Q4, outside of periods of brief volatility.
Another factor that should help companies and broader equities is an expectation that inflation and interest rates are on the path to move lower. After reducing the policy rate by a strong 50 bps in September, the US Fed might cut its policy rate by at least another 50 bps before 2024 ends. The September cut was the first since 2020 and likely concludes an aggressive rate-hiking cycle. As per the Fed projections, the policymakers might continue to cut rates through 2024-end and into 2025, supporting growth and labor moving forward.
While some sort of weak seasonality factors might be visible in Q4, Ameriprise Financial highlighted that S&P 500 managed to deliver an average return of ~4.2% in the fourth quarter since 2000 and an average of ~9.8% over the last 5 years.
READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In.
The Case For a Soft Landing
The IMF’s chief economist hinted that the US remains close to achieving a “soft landing” by navigating challenges, such as inflation, without prompting a prolonged recession. While global growth is slowing, the US is still a positive exception. The inflation in the US appears to be easing towards the US Fed’s target, and the labor market, despite some cooling, remains resilient. As per State Street Global Advisors, despite the US election uncertainty and Middle East geopolitical tensions, the US Fed’s dovish pivot and still-solid US economy continue to make the case for a soft landing.
IMF’s chief economist stated that, globally, an inflation picture seems to be coming very close to central bank targets in the course of the next year. Also, several supply-side factors are aiding the US economy, including good US productivity data, and a significant increase in the number of foreign-born workers, which supported spurring growth without driving inflation.
A close up shot of a stock ticker reflecting the performance of Indian equity markets.
Our Methodology
To list the 10 Best Fundamental Stocks to Invest In, we conducted extensive research using Finviz screener and online rankings. To select the stocks, we chose companies with stable and reliable 10-year revenue and net income growth rates. We also mentioned the hedge fund sentiment around each stock, as of Q2 2024. Finally, the list has been arranged in the ascending order of their hedge fund holdings.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
10-Year Revenue Growth Rate: ~11.8%
10-Year Net Income Growth Rate: ~9.9%
Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 114
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) operates as a diversified healthcare company in the US.
Wall Street believes that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s growth trajectory is expected to be aided by its scale, diverse business segments, and integrated healthcare services. Moreover, the company’s wide network of healthcare providers and technological capabilities should further strengthen its competitive advantages. The company has a strong position in the healthcare market, primarily in the Medicare Advantage (MA) segment. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s scale and analytics capabilities should drive market share gains in government insurance markets.
Wall Street analysts expect that the company has numerous levers for potential upside in 2025, such as SG&A efficiencies, improvement in Optum health run rate margins, and a conservative bid strategy for Medicare Advantage Medical Loss Ratio (MA MLR). Any expansion of Medicare Advantage or higher government focus on value-based care should further build UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s strengths.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s Optum segment, which is engaged in providing health services and technology solutions, might see higher demand if policies encourage greater integration of care delivery and data analytics.
Analysts at Jefferies Financial Group upgraded the shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating, increasing the target price from $481.00 to $647.00 on 17th July. Wedgewood Partners, an investment management company, released its Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:
“UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) shares rebounded during the quarter and the holding was a top contributor to portfolio performance. The Company reported double-digit growth in earnings per share during the quarter. It has been able to adjust pricing in its Healthcare segment to keep up with medical cost inflation while working with its Optum units to deliver more value-based care, replacing the traditional fee-for-service health-care model. The Optum segment grew operating income over +15% on strong expense management and continued uptake of value-based care offerings. Value-based care is a sensible, long-term growth opportunity for the Company to pursue and also differentiates them from the vast majority of healthcare providers, particularly as it relates to Medicare patients. For example, the Company’s value-based care programs provide more preventative care opportunities and homebased care visits for patients which helps save the U.S. health-care system billions in unnecessary spending, while also providing patients with better outcomes because diseases and behaviors are caught or corrected at earlier stages. Furthermore, the Company has invested in several core assets over the years in order to execute this value-based strategy. It may well become the standard of care as the proportion of people in the U.S. with healthcare insurance coverage continues to reach new highs.”
Overall UNH ranks 4th on our list of 10 Best Fundamental Stocks to Invest In. While we acknowledge the potential of UNH as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than UNH but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
