Stock price when the opinion was issued
Trades at 4-5 multiple points lower than UNH, fundamentals are equally good.
Whole group has stalled a bit over medical cost ratios and medical costs in general. Government is repricing programs, and it's affecting margins. Companies will fight through it, trading inexpensively, very solid growth metrics. Not afraid to buy any of them, and his choice is ELV.
Health insurance companies have done extremely well and will continue to do so. And this despite continued bombardment to try to tamp down profitability in the sector (its predecessor, Anthem, was trading around $7 a share in 1995). Company expects revenue to grow 10%+ and earnings in low teens. Trades 12-13x earnings. Great setup for long-term hold.
Don't get caught up in the news of the day, think about where it's likely to be in 5-10 years. Use these times of weakness to add to or start a position.
See UNH comments. The whole US health insurance industry is in turmoil. The industry itself admits there's a problem with how claims are processed and need to be fixed. These companies are necessary in the US health system, and they are for-profit. ELV hasn't traded at this low a valuation since 2013. Hold on.
Has long owned them. Trades at good multiples. Shares are down a lot. Their business is structured differently from UNH, which relies on Medicare/Medicaid, but ELV runs on a fee-based system, which means less exposure to medical losses. He just added more shares today on a dip.
(Analysts’ price target is $495.15)
More opportunity than UNH, but also hurt by reimbursement rates. But a lot of ELV's business is fee-based, so they don't take on the full liability of these higher rates. Share have fallen to become an opportunity.