James TelfserCigna Corp.CIBUYJun 25, 2013

Sold last year, mainly because Trump administration announced seemingly negative measures toward HMO's in general and specific ones with pharmacy benefits managers. Common theme in the space is that margins are compressing. Overhang will go on for a few more quarters.

Shares are down because the market fears they will do a tie-up deal with Humana, but CI bowed out. This is good given Human's problems. Managers are excellent, making good deals. EPS grew 13% compounded annual growth rate from 2013-2023. Are buying back shares and pay a dividend.

Exited, and allocated proceeds to UNH, as it's a better performer, larger scale. He also had concerns over customer concentration. Not expensive at 12x forward earnings plus 1.7% yield.

(A Top Pick Sept 20/16. Up 43%.) He continues to like the US healthcare sector. In the US, if over 65 years of age, you spend 3X as much on healthcare as under the age of 65. This company doesn’t have much exposure to the Affordable Care Act and is well positioned to benefit from those trends.

(Top Pick Aug 17/16, Up 39.68%) A US based health insurance company. The news was that last year Anthem had made an offer for them, but he thought the takeover would not go through. There is a large break fee for the deal not going through. He thinks going forward they will buy back stock, invest and raise their dividend. It is another well run story.

A US health insurer provider, one of the largest. There is a pending deal. Aetna (AET-N) (?) wants to buy the company, and it is unlikely that deal gets approved. If the deal doesn’t get approved, the break fee is about $1.5 billion. On top of that, when you look at the cash they can deploy, they are going to have about $10 billion to play with. They can buy back a ton of stock if the deal does not go through. If it does go through, you still get 30% upside. Dividend yield of .03%.

Health care insurance space, global. A company wanted to buy them and it was rejected by the US government, but they have until next April for the deal to go through. 14 times earnings. They help companies save money. Once the deal does close, or doesn’t, they will have the ability to raise the dividend.