Investire 1000 dollari in azioni del gruppo UnitedHealth due decenni fa avrebbe portato un profitto significativo oggi.
UnitedHealth Group's Resilience Despite Market Volatility
UnitedHealth Group (UNH), the nation's largest health insurer, has shown remarkable resilience in the face of market turbulence. Despite the S&P 500 losing 18% in 2022, UNH managed to post a 7% increase.
With over 50 million people receiving health insurance benefits from UNH, the company's impact is significant. However, the loss in value for UNH is more than the entire market cap of Coca-Cola (KO), highlighting the contrast in performance between the two giants.
Despite this, UNH maintains a consensus recommendation of Buy, with solid conviction. This is backed by the company's impressive history, having started in the 1970s and becoming a pioneer in offering network-based health care plans.
UNH's dividend yield currently stands at 2.9%, more than double the S&P 500. Over its entire life as a publicly traded company, UNH has generated an annualized total return (price change plus dividends) of 17.8%.
However, UNH has underperformed the S&P 500 over every standardized period except 15 years. Yet, UNH has consistently outperformed the broader market, often by wide margins, in both good and bad years.
UNH's portfolio of health care businesses is essentially vertical, encompassing insurance, pharmacy benefits management, doctor practices, and medical billing. The company reported revenue of over $400 billion in 2024, a 100% increase from $200 billion in 2017.
In 2021, UNH returned 45% while the S&P 500 returned 29%. Notably, Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), added UNH to the Berkshire Hathaway equity portfolio in the second quarter of 2025.
Despite a Department of Justice investigation into UNH's billing practices and the murder of an executive in late 2024, the company's stock has shown potential for recovery. If $1,000 was invested in UnitedHealth stock 20 years ago, it would today be worth $7,600, while the same sum invested in the S&P 500 would theoretically be worth $7,900 today.
Of the 26 analysts covering UNH tracked by S&P Global Market Intelligence, 13 call it a Strong Buy, six say Buy, five have it at Hold, and two rate it at Strong Sell. This positive sentiment reflects the faith analysts have in UNH's long-term prospects.
However, it's important to note that the current allegations by the Department of Justice against UnitedHealth Group are not detailed in the provided search results. As always, investors are encouraged to conduct thorough research before making investment decisions.
