MUNTHITA LAMLUE/iStock via Getty Images Investors Should Know: Managed care and health insurance companies are navigating thin net margins and rising utilization pressure. This makes AI-driven automation a growing focus for cost control and earnings durability across the sector. Background Managed care organizations typically operate on relatively thin net margins, with many major health insurers ...
MUNTHITA LAMLUE/iStock via Getty Images Investors Should Know: Managed care and health insurance companies are navigating thin net margins and rising utilization pressure. This makes AI-driven automation a growing focus for cost control and earnings durability across the sector. Background Managed care organizations typically operate on relatively thin net margins, with many major health insurers earning around 3–5% net margins in a typical year. Because medical claims account for the vast majority of premium revenue, even modest increases in healthcare utilization or changes in reimbursement rates can significantly affect profitability. Coordinated care models, especially in areas like Medicaid managed care, generate high volumes of administrative work: member outreach, referrals, risk scoring, prior authorization, and care gap management. Automating these workflows is one clear path to reducing per-member costs without cutting care quality. Artificial intelligence can help in this area, among others. By implementing AI tools for various functions along their workflows, managed care companies can protect their margins and better plan for contingencies. Stocks to Watch The publicly traded companies most directly exposed to this dynamic include large integrated health platforms and pure managed care operators. CVS Health ( CVS ) describes itself as an integrated health solutions company spanning retail pharmacy, clinics, pharmacy benefit management, and insurance. The firm has explicitly referenced technology-driven services as part of how it connects members to care and lowers costs. Elsewhere, Centene Corporation ( CNC ), UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ), Humana Inc. ( HUM ), Elevance Health ( ELV ), Cigna Group ( CI ), and Molina Healthcare ( MOH ) round out the major publicly traded managed care names. On the innovation side, a separate group of companies sits at the intersection of AI and healthcare delivery. These include Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. ( AXSM ), Xenon Pha...
Comprehensive cross-platform coverage of the U.S. market close on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, and YouTube with Romaine Bostick, Katie Greifeld, Carol Massar and Lisa Mateo. (Source: Bloomberg)
Comprehensive cross-platform coverage of the U.S. market close on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, and YouTube with Romaine Bostick, Katie Greifeld, Carol Massar and Lisa Mateo. (Source: Bloomberg)
Medline ( MDLN ) said on Thursday that Chief Operating Officer Stephen Miller will retire from his role, effective August 30, 2026, for health-related reasons. The company is launching a search for his successor, it added. More on Medline Inc. Medline: After IPO In 2025, This Year Is A Bet On Continued Growth Medline Inc. (MDLN) Presents At Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 20...
Medline ( MDLN ) said on Thursday that Chief Operating Officer Stephen Miller will retire from his role, effective August 30, 2026, for health-related reasons. The company is launching a search for his successor, it added. More on Medline Inc. Medline: After IPO In 2025, This Year Is A Bet On Continued Growth Medline Inc. (MDLN) Presents At Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript Medline Inc. (MDLN) Presents at 46th Annual William Blair Growth Stock Conference Transcript Medline shares slip after fire at California warehouse Medline gets FDA warnings over manufacturing issues at Illinois plant
Watch Harry Brook's best shots against India in the fourth T20 as he finishes unbeaten on 79 from 35 balls to guide England to a nine-wicket win in Bristol, securing a 3-0 series lead with one match to play.
Watch Harry Brook's best shots against India in the fourth T20 as he finishes unbeaten on 79 from 35 balls to guide England to a nine-wicket win in Bristol, securing a 3-0 series lead with one match to play.
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Investment Thesis I last reviewed the ProShares S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF ( REGL ) on February 16, 2024, when I rated it a "hold" and advised readers that the only reason to own it was for its low volatility features. Since that article was published, REGL has delivered a 33.19% total return, outpacing the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrat...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Investment Thesis I last reviewed the ProShares S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF ( REGL ) on February 16, 2024, when I rated it a "hold" and advised readers that the only reason to own it was for its low volatility features. Since that article was published, REGL has delivered a 33.19% total return, outpacing the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF ( NOBL ) by 6.02% while lagging behind the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF ( IJH ) and the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF ( IVV ) by 4.86% and 21.25%, respectively. Unfortunately, REGL didn't get a chance to show off its defensive capabilities except for a brief period early last year. My opinion that REGL should be considered only for its downside protection hasn't changed, nor has my "hold" rating. However, I would like to take the opportunity today to explain why it is a fundamentally better choice than NOBL, its large-cap counterpart. As I'll demonstrate below, REGL's downside protection and value features are better, its next-year earnings growth rates are higher, and its dividend yield is just as competitive. I hope you enjoy the read, and as always, I look forward to answering your questions afterward. REGL Overview: Fund Characteristics and Key Objectives According to its website , REGL has a 0.40% expense ratio, $1.76 billion in assets under management, and is the only ETF that tracks the S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats Index . ProShares lists the following three reasons why investors should consider REGL. ProShares For example, on "Stability & Strength" I found that using a company's ROE as a measure of quality, REGL's components only differed by 4.93% compared to their five-year average ROEs, which was the lowest in the U.S. mid-cap category and far less than the 13.20% category average. In addition, REGL's weighted average 14.92% ROE ranks #12/40 among U.S. mid-cap value ETFs, so indeed, it does really excel on stability and strength. However, regarding the "We...
FreezeFrames/iStock via Getty Images Kimmeridge Energy Management has criticized Devon Energy's ( DVN ) divestment program as moving too slowly following the driller's $25B takeover of Coterra Energy, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The criticism is the latest sign of frustration from the activist investor that recently urged Devon ( DVN ) to shed assets apart from the Permian Basin and voted against...
FreezeFrames/iStock via Getty Images Kimmeridge Energy Management has criticized Devon Energy's ( DVN ) divestment program as moving too slowly following the driller's $25B takeover of Coterra Energy, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The criticism is the latest sign of frustration from the activist investor that recently urged Devon ( DVN ) to shed assets apart from the Permian Basin and voted against all of Devon's directors at the annual meeting, according to the report. " When we published our 'Time for Action' letter in May, we expected the board to respond with the urgency warranted by Devon's persistent underperformance," Kimmeridge managing director Mark Viviano said Thursday. "Unfortunately, the board's response to date has fallen well short of the urgency the situation demands. This is not what we envisioned when we voted in favor of the transaction." Another activist, Toms Capital Investment Management, also has become increasingly impatient with the pace of management’s actions at Devon ( DVN ), according to the report. Devon ( DVN ) CEO Clay Gaspar recently told investors in New York that the company is moving quickly to evaluate its portfolio, calling it a months-long rather than a years-long exercise. More on Devon Energy Devon Energy: Shares Are Cheap And Have Likely Bottomed Devon Energy: Lower Oil, Higher Earnings, Shares Near Key Support Devon Energy: Stone Ridge Expresses Interest In The Marcellus Business (Rating Upgrade)
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I last covered Ecolab ( ECL ) in February. At the time, I rated the stock as a hold; in my view, Ecolab did not have enough organic growth to justify a buy. I was getting excited for a bit over the past quarter because Ecolab had dropped to as low as $243 a share in May from its prior $309 peak. However, the correction ended, and shares are now back near...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I last covered Ecolab ( ECL ) in February. At the time, I rated the stock as a hold; in my view, Ecolab did not have enough organic growth to justify a buy. I was getting excited for a bit over the past quarter because Ecolab had dropped to as low as $243 a share in May from its prior $309 peak. However, the correction ended, and shares are now back near the middle of their 52-week trading range: Data by YCharts To be clear, there's a price at which I'd be happy to add to my position in the company as I continue to think Ecolab is an excellent business. But valuation matters, and with the stock's rebound over the past month, Ecolab has moved back out of any potential buying zone. What Makes Ecolab's Model Attractive Ecolab is a large, diversified company. It is classified as a specialty chemical firm, though I tend to view it as an industrial conglomerate. That's because Ecolab offers clients a wide array of services, including sanitation and food safety, laundry services, wastewater treatment, and pest control, among others. This makes Ecolab a more complex business to analyze than a peer like Rollins ( ROL ), which is closer to a pure play on pest control. Ecolab, by contrast, has a strong market position with Fortune 500 companies that want an all-in-one solution. If you're a large fast-food chain, for example, Ecolab can handle your bathroom sanitation, food safety, wastewater, and pest control at the same time rather than needing various service providers for each function. You can see my past articles, such as this one arguing why Ecolab is a high-quality compounder , for more details on the business model. In brief, Ecolab overall has the largest market share out of its direct competitors. However, as per management estimates, the company still only reaches about 10% of the total market opportunity: Ecolab addressable market (Corporate Presentation) There are plenty of potential customers that Ecolab hasn't successf...
OpenAI is already shutting down ChatGPT Atlas, its browser that could do tasks for you on your behalf, less than a year after launching it. Atlas was announced in October , but as part of its wave of news about ChatGPT Work today , the company confirmed that it will be "sunsetting" Atlas and is targeting an August 9th date for deprecation. In recent months, OpenAI has also shut down the video gene...
OpenAI is already shutting down ChatGPT Atlas, its browser that could do tasks for you on your behalf, less than a year after launching it. Atlas was announced in October , but as part of its wave of news about ChatGPT Work today , the company confirmed that it will be "sunsetting" Atlas and is targeting an August 9th date for deprecation. In recent months, OpenAI has also shut down the video generation app Sora and paused plans for a ChatGPT "adult mode" as it works to reduce "side quests" and catch up with Anthropic on productivity features . In a thread about the ChatGPT Work announcements, which includes an updated browser in the desktop … Read the full story at The Verge.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has revealed the leadership of the US central bank's new task forces to review monetary policy and even communication on the Fed's interest rate messaging. Yahoo Finance Senior Fed Reporter Jennifer Schonberger breaks down who the new task force leaders are.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has revealed the leadership of the US central bank's new task forces to review monetary policy and even communication on the Fed's interest rate messaging. Yahoo Finance Senior Fed Reporter Jennifer Schonberger breaks down who the new task force leaders are.
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Thursday closed up +0.81%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed up +0.27%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed up +1.62%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26 ) rose +0.82%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) on Thursday closed up +0.81%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI ) (DIA ) closed up +0.27%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) closed up +1.62%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU26 ) rose +0.82%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures...
Getty Images Alibaba's ( BABA ) shares jumped 12% on Wednesday, the stock's biggest move since September. The stock is up over 2%, as investors continue to price in the positives on Thursday. Seeking Alpha So, considering the stock doesn’t move much, there were many catalysts. The trigger was a reported pre-earnings briefing the company held for analysts, in which Alibaba described how losses in i...
Getty Images Alibaba's ( BABA ) shares jumped 12% on Wednesday, the stock's biggest move since September. The stock is up over 2%, as investors continue to price in the positives on Thursday. Seeking Alpha So, considering the stock doesn’t move much, there were many catalysts. The trigger was a reported pre-earnings briefing the company held for analysts, in which Alibaba described how losses in its instant-commerce business narrowed significantly in the June quarter while overall profitability held steady. The rally pulled the whole neighborhood along, with the Hang Seng Tech Index climbing 5% and Tencent ( TCEHY ) and JD ( JD ) each up another 4%. I'm maintaining the stock with a buy ahead of the August 13 earnings and see more upside into print. Wednesday looked to me like the turn I've been waiting for since spring: the quarter's legal and geopolitical baggage is getting cleared out one item at a time, and the market is going back to pricing the business. The stock is now down 18.8% since I last covered it in mid-March of this year, underperforming the market by a big margin, with the S&P 500 up 11.7% during the same period. I think the negatives are priced in at this point, and then some more, and I see more upside ahead in the near term. The Techie So, why was the stock the odd one out? The second quarter was ugly for Alibaba, and very little of it had anything to do with the business. On June 8, the Pentagon added the company to its Section 1260H list of “Chinese military companies,” part of an expansion that added 65 names and pushed the roster past 188. Alibaba sued the Department of Defense on June 23, calling the designation “arbitrary and capricious” with “no basis in fact or law.” Then, on June 25, shares slid to a 16-month low in Hong Kong, extending the year-to-date decline to 33%, after Anthropic accused the company of “illicitly” accessing its AI model. Reuters reported that Anthropic sent a letter to White House officials and several U.S. senators ...
Anker’s Soundcore Boom 2 is fully waterproof. Bluetooth speakers with big sound and great features are hard to find for under $100, with most offerings being some variation of the same basic (and often small) design. Thankfully, through July 10th Woot has the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 on sale for $69.99, which is $20 cheaper than the discounted price at other retailers like Amazon , and about half it...
Anker’s Soundcore Boom 2 is fully waterproof. Bluetooth speakers with big sound and great features are hard to find for under $100, with most offerings being some variation of the same basic (and often small) design. Thankfully, through July 10th Woot has the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 on sale for $69.99, which is $20 cheaper than the discounted price at other retailers like Amazon , and about half its original $129.99 price. The waterproof Bluetooth speaker can run for up to 24 hours on a single charge, with big, bass-forward sound that’s great for a day by the water or just hanging out in the yard. Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Where to Buy: $129.99 $69.99 at Woot While size isn’t everything when it comes to Bluetooth speakers, the Soundcore Boom 2’s 50W subwoofer and pair of 15W tweeters should deliver louder, clearer sound than other speakers around the same price (which are often smaller). The IPX7 rating means it’s fully waterproof and submersible, and its design will let it pump out the tunes, or take calls with its built-in microphone, while it floats in water. The Boom 2 has a robust set of features for a speaker at this price point. You can adjust the equalizer and the built-in lighting behavior from the Anker app, plus the speaker charges your other devices at up to 5W from its built-in USB-A port. Its support for Anker PartyCast 2.0 lets the Boom 2 sync with other Anker speakers for larger audio. There’s no 3.5mm aux input, which isn’t irregular for waterproof speakers, so it’s Bluetooth only for playback.
Most people have bought something online they later questioned. A gadget. A piece of furniture. Maybe even a car. But in 1999, Mark Cuban took online shopping to a level that has never been matched. The billionaire entrepreneur purchased a...
Most people have bought something online they later questioned. A gadget. A piece of furniture. Maybe even a car. But in 1999, Mark Cuban took online shopping to a level that has never been matched. The billionaire entrepreneur purchased a...