A generation ago, NASA launched their great observatories to explore the Universe. It's time for round 2.
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: UnitedHealth, AT&T, Netflix, Procter & Gamble and BlackRock
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P; 500 and Nasdaq showed strength again in afternoon trading Friday despite a big plunge in April retail sales.
DOW UPDATE The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up Friday afternoon with shares of UnitedHealth and Travelers leading the way for the price-weighted average. Shares of UnitedHealth (UNH) and Travelers (TRV) are contributing to the index's intraday rally, as the Dow (DJIA) is trading 7 points (0.
Stock picking is becoming critical.Focus on healthcare and technology.Here are the top stocks to buy now.
UnitedHealth (UNH) and Microsoft will jointly launch a mobile application that will create a safe work ambience for employees returning to work by screening them for COVID-19 symptoms.
When it comes to where millionaires live in America, the rich keep getting richer.Market research firm Phoenix Marketing International notes that although the total number of millionaire households rose for the 11th straight year in 2019, the gains were disproportionately seen in states that already had more than their fair share of millionaires."While the total number of high-net-worth households grew, these increases were largely seen in the wealthiest states, reinforcing the broader ongoing wealth-gap issues the country faces," says Carl Uttaro, VP of financial services research at Phoenix MI. How Many Millionaires Are in the U.S.?Phoenix MI is tracking the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which could make for a very different landscape going forward. But last year, at least, the good times continued to roll. Indeed, a record 6.71% (or 8,386,508 out of 125,018,808 total U.S. households) can now claim millionaire status. That's up from 6.21% in 2018 and just 5.81% in 2017.Note well that to be considered a millionaire by the standards of wealth research, a household must have investable assets of $1 million or more, excluding the value of real estate, employer-sponsored retirement plans and business partnerships, among other select assets.Although California and New York have a great deal of millionaires in terms of raw numbers, they don't have the highest concentrations of rich households. It turns out there are numerous states with higher percentages of well-off households, several of which probably will surprise you.And don't forget that between living costs and taxes, a million dollars goes much further in some states than others.Here's a look at the millionaire rankings for all 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), based on the percentage of millionaire households in each. Just for good measure, we're also providing important tax and cost-of-living information. SEE ALSO: The Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio: Latest Buffett Stock Rankings
Select healthcare companies are seeing a strong bid from the race for potential treatments, a vaccine and testing for COVID-19.We believe their success in these efforts will have more impact in reopening the economy than as long-term stock catalysts.Biopharma…
Soros' 13F portfolio value decreased from $3.09B to $1.98B this quarter. The number of positions decreased from 173 to 118.Soros increased D.R. Horton, Peloton Interactive, and Activision Blizzard, while reducing Alphabet and Vistra Energy.Liberty Broadband a…
UHS earnings call for the period ending March 31, 2020.
Good news from Gilead Sciences and a statement from the Federal Reserve offset some grim economic numbers
XLV owns a portfolio of large-cap healthcare stocks in the U.S.Many stocks in XLV’s portfolio have consistently increased their dividends in the past 10 years.XLV is overvalued but it has a better growth profile than the S&P 500 Index.
Two sample Breakout Stocks for Week 21 with better than 10% short-term upside potential.New Momentum Gauge™ section to help you use the best types of trades for the best returns during different market cycles.This marks the third week in a row with a Friday M…
David Tepper's 13F portfolio value decreased from $3.98B to $3.27B this quarter.Appaloosa added Twitter and Netflix during the quarter.Alphabet, Facebook, Amazon, Alibaba Group Holdings, and Micron are the five largest positions.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH) have teamed up to roll out an everyday free screening app for coronavirus symptoms as more and more employers are planning to reopen their businesses and are subject to stringent health requirements.Th app, also known as ProtectWell, allows employers to offer workers a simple screening tool designed for everyday use. The smartphone app includes an AI-powered health care bot that asks users a series of questions to screen for Covid-19 symptoms or exposure. If risk of infection is indicated, employers can direct their employees to a streamlined Covid-19 testing process that enables closed-loop ordering and reporting of test results directly back to employers.“As businesses begin to reopen, employers will need to monitor and manage their workforce for Covid-19 symptoms to help ensure those at risk of spreading the virus stay home until cleared by medical providers,” said Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s executive vice president of worldwide commercial business.The screening app uses the clinical and data analytics of UnitedHealth combined with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and analytics capabilities. The smartphone app, which will be powered by Microsoft Azure, will be available to all U.S. employers at no charge. Microsoft said it plans to deploy ProtectWell for its U.S.-based employees.For privacy protection, UnitedHealth will maintain control over protected health care data and will manage opt-in and consent requirements needed from app users. Microsoft will not have access to identifiable information shared via the app.Shares in Microsoft have soared 35% in the past two months and were trading at $183.16 on Friday. UnitedHealth shares have recovered after declining to a multi-year low on March 23 and are now trading around their start-of-year level at $290.96.Five-star analyst Keith Weiss at Morgan Stanley reiterated the Buy rating on Microsoft’s stock with a $198 price target, saying that he forecasts the company to generate double-digit top-line growth in the near term.“Based on the focus from senior management and strong secular tailwinds behind Security spending, we expect these installed base and data advantages to lead Microsoft into new markets like DevSecOps, IoT Security, and Data Privacy,” Weiss wrote in a report to investors.TipRanks data shows that overall Wall Street analysts are almost unanimously bullish on Microsoft’s stock. Twenty-two out of the 23 analysts have Buy ratings and 1 has a Hold rating adding up to a Strong Buy consensus. The $198.67 average price target provides investors with 8.5% upside potential in the shares in the coming 12 months. (See Microsoft stock analysis on TipRanks).Related News: Microsoft Buys Metaswitch For Cloud-Based Telecoms Move, 5G Expansion Apple is Said to Snap Up Startup NextVR For Virtual Reality Content; Top Analyst Sees Buying Opportunity Taiwan Semi Has Not Received Any Assurance On US License For Huawei Tech Sale More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: * Regeneron To Repurchase $5 Billion Stake From Sanofi * Gates Foundation Buys Up Amazon, Apple, Twitter Stock; Trims Berkshire Hathaway Stake * Earnings: RBC Forecasts Choppy Results For Dell This Thursday * Salesforce Earnings Preview: Five-Star Analyst Bullish Into Print
Microsoft (MSFT) ties up with UnitedHealth Group (UNH) to launch ProtectWell Protocol and App to aid employers in bringing employees back to workplace in a secure setting.
How the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every state
UnitedHealth stock has recovered from the first quarter sell-off and now looks ready to break out above 2018 resistance.
LDOS earnings call for the period ending April 3, 2020.
Humana and One Medical cleared buy points last week. Will UnitedHealth be the next managed-care stock to break out?
Until mid-February this year, markets were making new all-time highs. Then suddenly, they were hit hard by a pandemic and resulting economic shutdowns that no one could have predicted.From time to time, especially after a big market correction, we like to stu…
The United Health Foundation has awarded Children’s Wisconsin a three-year, $2.5 million grant to establish a crisis response team in the emergency department (ED) available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for children with mental and behavioral health needs. This will be the first urgent mental health system of care dedicated solely to pediatric patients in southeast Wisconsin.
Insurance companies are proposing rates for 2021. With the Covid-19 crisis, there's little clarity about the future, making it an unprecedented situation for the industry and consumers.
Live, competitive golf is returning to TV on May 17 — and from exclusive Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, no less — as four of the game’s top players square off in a two-man team skins competition to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts.
INSP earnings call for the period ending March 31, 2020.
In this article we will check out the progression of hedge fund sentiment towards UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) and determine whether it is a good investment right now. We at Insider Monkey like to examine what billionaires and hedge funds think of a company before spending days of research on it. Given their 2 and […]
The Vanguard Dividend Growth fund may give companies a pass if they need to reduce or suspend their dividends during the coronavirus pandemic, a very different shift for a fund focused on payouts.
Cigna's (CI) retention of current-year guidance underlines its ability to tide over the present bleak business and economic landscape created by COVID-19.
A study completed by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) with the Yale School of Medicine found that older COVID-19 patients with hypertension taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors had a lower risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. A pragmatic clinical trial will be a critical next step.
Digital health company Rally Health, Inc., part of health services leader Optum, announced today that its Rally® consumer digital health platform and entire portfolio of solutions have achieved HITRUST CSF® Certification, a distinction awarded by HITRUST,® a leading data protection standards development and certification organization, to recognize health solutions that have passed a rigorous security evaluation and have met key regulations and industry requirements related to safeguarding protected health information (PHI).
COVID-19's impact has been crippling, but something positive may come from the pandemic. Billionaire Ray Dalio said in a live LinkedIn interview that in terms of the broader historical context, the recent economic downturn should be “relatively brief," and could spur significant societal progress. This would include a worldwide “restructuring” lasting approximately three to five years.“I know that’s a long time, but it’s not forever. The human capacity to adapt and invent and come out of this is much greater,” Dalio commented. He added, “I think we should be very excited about the new future. We’re now in a wonderful revolution in terms of the capacity to think and use that in a way. I would say that is absolutely the most treasured thing in the future.”Still making sure to account for the unknowns, Dalio has been diversifying his investments across geographic locations, asset class and currencies throughout the ongoing public health crisis. Looking to Dalio for investing inspiration, we used TipRanks’ database to find out if three stocks the billionaire recently added to the fund represent compelling plays. According to the platform, the analyst community believes they do, with all of the picks earning “Strong Buy” consensus ratings. Let’s jump right in.Philip Morris International (PM)Cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company Philip Morris has become known as a “sin stock." However, regardless of its product portfolio, Dalio sees plenty of upside in store.Recently, the billionaire’s fund acquired a new position in PM, snapping up 67,447 shares. The value of this new addition? More than $4.9 million.Turning now to the analysts, the stock boasts a strong fan base, which includes Piper Sandler’s Michael Lavery. He doesn’t dispute the fact that there are some headwinds facing the company. “PM expects near-term iQOS new user acquisition to be about 50% lower than it originally planned due to social distancing measures that have shut iQOS stores and made it harder to engage with consumers,” Lavery stated.That being said, the company has already surpassed Lavery’s expectations, which were cut to near-zero. The analyst even says that if PM can maintain the pace of its customer acquisition, there could be upside to his estimates. The analyst added, “We expect HeatStick volume growth of 20% in 2020E (1Q20: +45%) and believe 90-100 billion sticks in 2021 is still achievable.”While lower duty-free volumes and down-trading in Indonesia could take a toll on second quarter EPS, Lavery remains optimistic. “We remain bullish on PM's strong long-term outlook, and we expect nicotine demand to remain resilient near-term (particularly in times of personal stress),” he explained.It should also be noted that PM has had to grapple with patent infringement claims from British American Tobacco (BAT) and a transactional currency hit. Speaking to the first issue, Lavery said, “We reviewed BAT's six patents named in its U.S. complaint, and it is difficult to handicap an outcome, but a third-party reviewer of patents generally did not give BAT's relevant ones here very high marks.”As for the latter, Lavery points out that about $100 million of the currency hit in the first quarter of 2020 was driven by the revaluation of euro or dollar denominated payables in markets like Russia, but he doesn’t foresee another event of this magnitude happening again.Based on all of the above, Lavery kept an Overweight rating on the stock. He did reduce the price target from $98 to $95, but this still implies shares could climb 40% higher in the next year. (To watch Lavery’s track record, click here) Judging by the consensus breakdown, other analysts are in agreement. 7 Buys and 2 Holds add up to a Strong Buy consensus rating. In addition, the $83.56 average price target brings the upside potential to 23%. (See Philip Morris stock analysis on TipRanks)UnitedHealth Group (UNH)Hoping to help people live healthier lives and make the healthcare system work more efficiently, UnitedHealth Group offers a wide range of healthcare products and insurance services. While the late-March acceleration of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a somewhat lackluster quarter, Dalio believes the company’s future is bright.To this end, Bridgewater went in on UNH. In a purchase valued at $5,481,000, Dalio’s hedge fund scooped up 21,977 shares.Five-star analyst Michael Wiederhorn agrees that UNH is moving on to bigger and better things, noting that its Q1 performance was relatively solid. “Overall, UNH produced strong results and seems well-positioned to navigate the COVID pandemic due to a relatively stable top-line, a diversified business mix and a dominant position across its businesses.”Wiederhorn tells investors that management thinks the slowdown in non-COVID-irelated utilization, which was driven by highly constrained elective care and will be offset by the late-year pent-up utilization, will have a significant impact on MCR in the second quarter. As a result, despite some uncertainty surrounding COVID-19's impact, UNH maintained its full year 2020 EPS guidance of $16.25-$16.55.Adding to the good news, Wiederhorn argues that its Optum segment has a strong standing within the market. Expounding on this, he noted, “Trends at Optum remained solid, and management did note that even OptumHealth should be positioned to hold up relatively well due to its reliance on risk-based contracts, accounting for two thirds of revenues. Both OptumRx and OptumInsight have strong pipelines (though the timing of meetings was disrupted) with the latter of particular interest as companies look to improve the economics and delivery of healthcare.”Even though commercial enrollment could be hampered by elevated levels of unemployment, higher Medicaid should partially offset this. Additionally, UNH is in the early stages of pricing and benefit design for 2021, with its plans possibly including pricing for COVID-19 testing and a potential vaccine.Bearing this in mind, Wiederhorn maintained an Outperform call and $343 price target. Should this target be met, a twelve-month gain of 18% could be in the cards. (To watch Wiederhorn’s track record, click here)Turning now to the rest of the Street, other analysts also like what they’re seeing. With 12 Buys and 2 Holds, the word on the Street is that UNH is a Strong Buy. At $326.23, the average price target indicates 12% upside potential. (See UnitedHealth stock analysis on TipRanks)Accenture PLC (ACN)Dalio’s third recent addition, Accenture, provides management and technology consulting services and solutions to help its clients, which inhabit almost every industry, create lasting value. With the company relying on a new strategy, Dalio thinks it has set itself up for success.Not wanting to miss out on a compelling opportunity, Bridgewater pulled the trigger on 27,763 shares, giving it a new position in ACN. Looking at the value of the new holding, it comes in at more than $4.5 million.When it comes to the analysts, they are also singing the company’s praises. Writing for BNP Paribas, analyst Ben Castillo-Bernaus argues that COVID-19's disruption has presented investors with an opportunity to buy a “high-quality” IT service company, with ACN trading well below historical five-year average EBIT multiples.“Accenture remains ‘best in class’ and the recent weakness is an opportunity to gain a position in this IT Services global leader delivering 40% returns on capital,” Castillo-Bernaus stated. He added, “Accenture has been a pioneer in developing ‘the New’ with 65% of revenues now coming from high growth Digital, Cloud and Security services.”As for what makes the company so successful and allows it to continuously take market share, Castillo-Bernaus points to its investments in new technologies and growth areas. To back up this conclusion, the analyst cites its EUR1 billion investment in training each year and EUR800 million investment in R&D all while delivering margin improvements every year. On top of this, ACN conducts smaller-scale M&A, with it working alongside the companies before an acquisition to limit any potential deal failures.Castillo-Bernaus also noted, “We believe Accenture has customers that spend more than $100 million annually, with 98% of Accenture’s top 100 clients having been clients for more than five years. These ‘sticky’ relationships help Accenture maintain high margins and high returns as Accenture has a high number of ‘sole source’ wins where it does not even see competition in RFPs.”That being said, the company has started using a new approach. It will now organize itself by Strategy & Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations instead of by verticals, and the results will be reported geographically for these segments. “We believe it is too early to tell what kind of impact these changes will have, but Accenture has a positive track record of occasionally tweaking its growth strategy in order to best deliver on the opportunities ahead,” Castillo-Bernaus commented.It should come as no surprise, then, that Castillo-Bernaus joined the bulls. Along with an Outperform rating, he initiated coverage by setting a $215 price target. This target conveys the analyst’s confidence in ACN's ability to surge 17% in the next twelve months.In general, other Wall Street analysts have also been impressed. ACN’s Strong Buy consensus rating breaks down into 13 Buys and 2 Holds assigned in the last three months. However, the $195.29 average price target suggests modest upside potential of 6%. (See Accenture stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
NTRA earnings call for the period ending March 31, 2020.
There really aren't many perfect solutions.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) closed the most recent trading day at $289.94, moving +1.06% from the previous trading session.
Centene has released its Q120 results with topline revenue up 41% to $26bn, whilst GAAP diluted EPS fell by 65% sequentially to $0.08. The health benefit ratio was 88%.The company has also lifted its sales forecasts for the full year 2020 from $104.8-105.6B t…
As UnitedHealth and Microsoft team up to help people get back to work and speed the coronavirus recovery, UNH stock and MSFT stock near buy points.
Stock market headwinds emerging at resistance.Stock picking is key given uncertainty.Here are the top stocks to buy now.
The coronavirus pandemic has helped digital health surge like never before. With virtual visits increasing on a daily basis, we have five stocks that are set to gain.