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The Mairs & Power, an investment firm, released the first-quarter 2026 investor letter for the “Mairs & Power Balanced Fund.” A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The fund returned -1.77% in the first quarter of 2026, outperforming its benchmark composite index decline of -2.68% as strong stock selection and exposure to Utilities and Industrials helped offset market volatility triggered by the Iran conflict and rising energy prices. The fund said inflation concerns resurfaced after Middle East tensions pushed oil prices higher, causing the Federal Reserve to adopt a more cautious stance on interest rates. Despite the uncertain backdrop, the firm maintained a constructive long-term outlook, citing resilient corporate earnings, improving small-cap trends, and attractive opportunities in reasonably valued sectors such as Utilities, Industrials, and Health Care. In addition, you can check the Fund’s top five holdings to determine its best picks for 2026.

In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Mairs & Power Balanced Fund highlighted stocks like UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH). UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is a healthcare services company offering insurance benefits and healthcare delivery solutions through its diversified operations. The one-month return of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) was 3.30% while its shares traded between $234.60 and $404.15 over the last 52 weeks. On June 1, 2026, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) stock closed at approximately $379.86 per share, with a market capitalization of about $344.97 billion.

Mairs & Power Balanced Fund stated the following regarding UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:

"UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), which has had a series of missteps over the past year, received further pressure as the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a flat increase for 2027 versus the roughly 5% level for 2026. UnitedHealth management noted a need to cut benefits to offset this reimbursement shock, but the anticipation is that this will result in volume loss and thus lower profitability."

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is in 14th position on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 130 hedge fund portfolios held UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 145 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

In another article, we covered UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) and shared the list of the best stocks for a Couch Potato portfolio. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.