Trump bought these health care stocks in 2026; should you?

Trump bought these health care stocks in 2026; should you? Peace Longe Mon, June 22, 2026 at 12:17 AM GMT+7 8 min read President Donald Trump has been trading health care stocks unusually frequently in 2026. Across the first three months of the year, his accounts ran 377 separate health care trades, a mix of buys and sells, worth at least $13 million and as much as $37 million by the disclosed ranges. That activity sits inside a much larger pattern. The accounts made 3,642 total transactions between January 6 and March 30, CBS News reported after analyzing the president’s latest financial disclosure. The Trump Organization says outside advisers run the accounts and that the president and his family play no role in the investments. For a regular investor, the interesting question is whether Trump’s most-traded health care names are actually worth owning right now. Most of Trump’s heavily traded health care names are down. A few have delivered standout gains. Knowing which is which, and why, is the whole game. Here is the ranked picture, by number of trades, with the disclosed dollar range and year-to-date (YTD) price move for each. Source: trade counts and dollar ranges are from the president's financial disclosure || year-to-date prices were compiled by me. UnitedHealth's range stretches widest because of one large single sale disclosed in the “$1,000,001 - $5,000,000” bracket, layered on top of many smaller transactions. Now to the part that matters for your money: what is actually moving each stock. UnitedHealth is the clearest comeback story here. The stock is up more than 19% YTD after a brutal stretch in 2025 that sent the stock crashing. CEO Andrew Witty stepped down in May 2025, the board brought back former chief Stephen Hemsley, and the Department of Justice opened an investigation into the company’s Medicare billing practices. All of which contributed to the company's decline. The turning point came after UnitedHealth’s first-quarter results: Revenue rose 2% to $111.7 billion and adjusted earnings reached $7.23 a share, beating estimates. Its medical care ratio, the share of each premium dollar spent paying claims, improved to 83.9%. Humana is the biggest percentage gainer, up more than 36% YTD, and the drivers were regulatory relief, a better-than-expected 2027 Medicare Advantage payment rate from CMS, and a jump in Humana’s top-tier Star ratings. All of which eased the fears that had crushed the stock in 2025, according to 24/7 Wall St. The device makers have had a rougher year. Boston Scientific is the worst performer in the group, down more than 52% YTD. The company repeatedly cut its 2026 growth guidance, with CEO Michael Mahoney pointing to slowing demand for its Watchman heart implant,according to MedTech Dive. An FDA Class 1 recall on certain pacemakers added pressure. Abbott is down nearly 29% YTD. Its $23 billion purchase of cancer-screening firm Exact Sciences, reported by Yahoo Finance, added earnings dilution, and its FreeStyle Libre glucose sensor faces an FDA recall and stiff competition. Intuitive Surgical, maker of the da Vinci surgical robot, fell about 28% YTD despite growing revenue. The stock was priced for perfection, and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are cutting into bariatric surgery volumes, The Motley Fool reported. Stryker dropped about 12% YTD after a March cyberattack disrupted manufacturing and dented first-quarter sales, TIKR reported. The drug stocks in the group mostly traded at flat or modestly low levels. Eli Lilly is essentially even on the year, up under 2%, even as revenue jumped 56% in the first quarter on Mounjaro and Zepbound demand. The FDA approved its oral GLP-1 pill, now branded Foundayo,according to Lilly’s earnings report. The stock stalled because its valuation had already priced in heavy growth, and a recent employer survey raised questions about future coverage. Related: President Donald Trump owns roughly $5M in surging AI stock AbbVie slipped about 6% YTD as biosimilar competition kept eroding Humira sales, though newer drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq are picking up the slack, Simply Wall St noted. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is flat, with its dominant cystic fibrosis franchise offsetting slower early uptake of newer products. Waters fell about 7% YTD as lab-equipment demand stayed soft. Just because Trump heavily traded some stocks doesn’t mean you should buy them. Each of these stocks moved for company-specific reasons that don’t necessarily have anything to do with who traded them. Three things are worth weighing before you act: The winners already ran. UnitedHealth and Humana have rebounded sharply, so much of the good news may be priced in. Berkshire Hathaway exited its UnitedHealth stake entirely in the first quarter. The losers have real problems. Boston Scientific and Abbott are cheaper, but guidance cuts, recalls and dilution are not quick fixes. Open risks remain. The DOJ probe into UnitedHealth has no resolution timeline

Trump bought these health care stocks in 2026; should you?

Key takeaways

More in business