Buffett Buys UnitedHealth, should you? | The Google Listing with a Twist Turns 21
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
Release Date: 08/19/2025
Buffett Buys UnitedHealth, should you? | The Google Listing with a Twist Turns 21
WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
🌍 Worldwide Markets Ep. 644 – 20 August 2024 🎙️ Hosted by Simon Brown This week’s episode dives into Buffett’s latest moves, Google’s iconic IPO, and big results from Standard Bank, MTN, and Sasol. Here’s what you need to know: 📈 Buffett Buys UnitedHealth – Should You Follow? Berkshire Hathaway picked up UnitedHealth (UNH). Stock has fallen from $600 → $308 due to federal investigations ⚖️. On paper, valuation looks attractive: Forward PE ~19 (below long-term average). Price-to-book ~2.9 vs decade average of 4.9. Analysts split: 2 sells, 5 holds, 12 buys, 6...
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WorldWide Markets with Simon Brown
info_outline🌍 Worldwide Markets Ep. 644 – 20 August 2024
🎙️ Hosted by Simon Brown
This week’s episode dives into Buffett’s latest moves, Google’s iconic IPO, and big results from Standard Bank, MTN, and Sasol. Here’s what you need to know:
📈 Buffett Buys UnitedHealth – Should You Follow?
- Berkshire Hathaway picked up UnitedHealth (UNH).
- Stock has fallen from $600 → $308 due to federal investigations ⚖️.
- On paper, valuation looks attractive:
- Forward PE ~19 (below long-term average).
- Price-to-book ~2.9 vs decade average of 4.9.
- Analysts split: 2 sells, 5 holds, 12 buys, 6 strong buys.
- ⚠️ Simon’s take: “Don’t blindly follow Buffett. Healthcare is a regulatory minefield. Use it as a starting point, not a buy signal.”
🩺 Healthcare Investing Alternatives
- Johnson & Johnson* (JNJ) – more stable exposure.
- Healthcare services & REITs (e.g. hospitals, medical equipment).
- ETFs on JSE:
- Satrix Healthcare Innovation ETF (STXHLT).
- Signia’s healthcare exposure sits in their active funds.
- Note: Active ETFs will soon be added to local databases ✅.
🏦 Standard Bank Results
- ROE: 19.1% – huge number.
- Forward PE: 8 (cheap vs historical 10.1).
- Dividend yield: 6.6% 💰.
- Price-to-book: 1.4 (in line with decade average).
- Expanding strongly across Africa 🌍.
- Simon: “Boring, quality portfolio stock. I like it, but waiting for cheaper entry near 240.”
Standard Bank | Weekly
📱 MTN Results
- Headline numbers looked great due to base effects from currency collapses in Ghana 🇬🇭 & Nigeria 🇳🇬.
- Market unimpressed: stock fell 8% 📉.
- Still strong 1-year return: +77% (incl. dividends +83%).
- Forward PE ~13.5 vs long-term 25 → appears undervalued.
- Risks: exec churn, CAPEX-heavy, regulatory hurdles.
- Simon: “Not a fan of telcos – data is just a utility.”
🛢️ Sasol Update
- Stock bounced from R50 → R100.
- Weak oil price outlook could hurt 📉.
- Operations improving, second-half expected stronger.
- Simon’s take: “Not a long-term hold. More of a trade: buy around R100, maybe ride it to R140, then get out.”
🔎 Google’s IPO Turns 21 🎂
- IPO’d in 2004 via Dutch Auction – gave retail investors equal footing vs institutions.
- Raised $1.66bn at $85/share.
- Today’s market cap ~ $2.5 trillion 🤯.
- Return: ~8,000% since IPO 🚀.
- Fun fact: for years, Domino’s Pizza IPO (same week) had similar returns 🍕 vs 🔍, but Google pulled ahead.
- Regulatory cloud: pending US judgment in August could hit stock short term ⚖️ → Simon says: “If it falls, I’ll be buying.”
💡 Key Takeaways
- Don’t just copy Buffett – do your homework 📝.
- Healthcare remains risky but ETFs & REITs offer cleaner exposure.
- Standard Bank looks solid, MTN looks risky, Sasol looks tradable.
- Google’s IPO remains one of the best investments of all time – and could still offer value despite regulation headwinds.
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