DAILY UPDATE: 401[k] and Wamco as Stock Markets Crash!

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that employees at an unnamed company can designate a portion of their employer match to student debt repayments or health reimbursement accounts, in addition to their traditional 401(k).

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

STOCKS UP

  • Warren Buffett’s Midas touch gave a boost to Domino’s Pizza and Pool Corp. after Berkshire Hathaway announced it has bought shares of both companies. Domino’s popped to start the day but dropped 1.27%, while Pool climbed just 0.54%.
  • Palantir is jumping ship, moving from the NYSE to the Nasdaq. Shareholders liked the move, pushing the stock up 11.14%.
  • Bloom Energy…bloomed 59.19% on the news that the renewable energy company reached an agreement to provide utility company American Electric Power with 1 gigawatt worth of fuel cells.

STOCKS DOWN

  • What Buffett giveth, Buffett taketh away: Apple sank on the news that Berkshire Hathaway has sold shares of the company, and almost completely eliminated its position in Ulta Beauty. Apple fell 1.41%, while Ulta Beauty dropped 4.60%.
  • Shareholders were expecting the worst from Chinese online retailer Alibaba, and although the company actually beat earnings forecasts, it wasn’t enough—shares still sank 2.20%.
  • Applied Materials tumbled 9.20% after beating both top and bottom line expectations, but shareholders balked at the slowdown in several key businesses.
  • AST SpaceMobile plummeted 9.59% after reporting bigger losses and smaller sales than Wall Street wanted to see.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The SPX fell 78.55 points (–1.32%) to 5,870.62 to end the week down 2.08%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) lost 305.87 points (–0.70%) to 43,444.99 to end the week down 1.24%; and the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) decreased 427.52 points (–2.24%) to 18,680.12 to end the week down 3.15%.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield rose one basis point to 4.43% but added 12 basis points for the week. Shorter-term yields rose less.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) climbed sharply to 16.11 as stocks fell.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

The problems at storied bond manager Western Asset Management keep growing. Clients have pulled about $55 billion from Wamco, as the division is known, since mid-August, representing about 15% of its assets. Franklin Templeton, its 77-year-old parent company and one of the largest asset managers in the U.S., recently reported its steepest quarterly outflows on record.

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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BIAS: Of “Social Proof” and Influencers

INVESTING DEFINITION

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Social Proof is a subtle but powerful reality that having others agree with a decision one makes, gives that person more conviction in the decision, and having others disagree decreases one’s confidence in that decision. 

This bias is even more exaggerated when the other parties providing the validating/questioning opinions are perceived to be experts in a relevant field, or are authority figures, like doctors, attorneys, financial advisors, teachers and/or people on television.  In many ways, the short term moves in the stock market are the ultimate expression of social proof – the price of a stock one owns going up is proof that a lot of other people agree with the decision to buy, and a dropping stock price means a stock should be sold. 

According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, when these stressors become extreme, it is of paramount importance that all participants in the financial planning and investing process have a clear understanding of what the long-term goals are, and what processes are in place to monitor the progress towards these goals. 

Without these mechanisms it is very hard to resist the enormous pressure to follow the crowd; think social media and related influences.

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Convertible Securities, Bonds and Corporate Securities

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Convertible securities are those that can be converted at the investor’s choice into other investments, normally into shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock. Convertibles are typically issued as bonds or preferred stock.

Convertible bonds, which provide an ongoing stream of income, can be converted into a preset number of shares of the company’s common stock and have a maturity date. Unlike common stock, which pays a variable dividend depending on a corporation’s earnings, convertible preferred stock pays a fixed quarterly dividend. It can be converted into common stock at any time, but often are perpetual.

Corporate securities (corporate bonds and notes) are debt instruments issued by corporations, as distinct from those issued by governments, government agencies, or municipalities.

Corporate securities typically have the following features: 1) they are taxable, 2) they tend to have more credit (default) risk than government or municipal securities, so they tend to have higher yields than comparable-maturity securities in those sectors; and 3) they are traded on major exchanges, with prices published in newspapers.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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DAILY UPDATE: Healthcare Private Equity Prominent as Stocks Go Down

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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© Copyright Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved. 2024

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Private equity (PE) dollars have become prominent in the US healthcare industry in recent decades, with PE firms now owning roughly 8% of all private hospitals in the country, according to nonprofit Private Equity Stakeholder Project. But studies have illustrated the financial model’s potential adverse effects, such one published in JAMA in December 2023 that found PE-owned hospitals are 25.4% more likely to report patient complications. Others have found that PE-owned healthcare companies represented more than one-fifth of healthcare company bankruptcies in 2023 and that PE-owned hospitals see their assets drop an average of 24% following an acquisition.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

STOCKS UP

Tapestry, parent company of luxury brands like Coach and Kate Spade, and Capri, parent company of luxury brands like Versace and Jimmy Choo, have announced they will mutually terminate their planned merger. Tapestry popped 12.80%, while Capri rose 4.43%.

  • Speaking of luxury brands, Burberry soared 18.04% after its CEO announced a turnaround plan designed to halt the company’s recent decline.
  • Semiconductor maker ASML plummeted last month on a profit warning, but rose 2.90% today on reassurances that it’s still on track to meet its 2030 revenue forecasts.

STOCKS DOWN

  • Super Micro Computer fell yet another 11.41% as it nears the November 16 deadline to report fiscal year earnings or be delisted from the Nasdaq.
  • Trump Media & Technology Group dropped 6.71% as investors digested news that company insiders are shedding shares, as well as in reaction to a number of President-elect Trump’s cabinet appointments.
  • Hims & Hers Health tumbled 24.46% on the news that Amazon is getting into the telehealth game, offering Prime members fixed prices on treatments for hair loss and erectile dysfunction.
  • Ibotta is a cashback rewards company, but its shareholders may want their cash back. The company beat on top and bottom line estimates last quarter, but the win wasn’t good enough, and shares sank 12.55%.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) fell 36.21 points (–0.60%) to 5,949.17; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) lost 207.33 points (–0.47%) to 43,750.86; and the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) dropped 123.07 points (–0.64%) to 19,107.65. 
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield fell three basis points to 4.42%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) edged up to 14.17.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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PARADOX: Generosity V. Miserliness

By Staff Reporters

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According to BC Smith and Hilary Davidson, generosity is paradoxical. Those who give, receive back in turn. By spending ourselves for others’ well-being, we enhance our own standing. In letting go of some of what we own, we better secure our own lives. By giving ourselves away, we ourselves move toward flourishing. This is not only a philosophical or religious teaching; it is a sociological fact.

The the generosity paradox can also be stated in the negative.

By grasping on to what we currently have, we lose out on better goods that we might have gained. In holding onto what we possess, we diminish its long-term value to us. And, by always protecting ourselves against future uncertainties and misfortunes, we are affected in ways that make us more anxious about uncertainties and vulnerable to future misfortunes.

In short, by failing to care for others, we do not properly take care of ourselves. It is no coincidence that the word “miser” is etymologically related to the word “miserable.”

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INVESTMENT STRATEGIES: Market Neutral and Extended Equity

By Staff Reporters

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Equity market neutral strategies seek to eliminate the risks of the equity market by holding up to 100% of net assets in long equity positions and up to 100% of net assets in short equity positions. These strategies attempt to exploit differences in stock prices by being long and short in stocks within the same sector, industry, market capitalization, etc. If successful, these strategies should generate returns independent of the equity market.

Equity market neutral portfolios have two key sources of return: 1) the Treasury Bill return (the interest on proceeds from short sales held in cash as collateral), and 2) the difference (the “spread”) between the return on the long positions and the return on the short positions. Stock picking, rather than broad market moves, should drive most of a market-neutral strategy’s total return (save for any return from the 100% cash position).

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Extended Equity Strategies attempt to provide better returns than possible with long-only investments

An example of an extended equity strategy is a 130/30 portfolio, which gets its designation from taking a 130% long position and a 30% short position. In practice, this would mean $100mm invested in stocks that are viewed as attractive.

Next, the manager would borrow and sell short $30mm of unattractive stocks. Then the manager uses the proceeds from the short sale to buy an additional $30mm of attractive stocks. This results in a portfolio that has 130% long and 30% short exposure to stocks, or “extended” exposure to equities relative to a long-only, 100% stock portfolio.

Note: It’s important to point out that here is the risk of theoretical unlimited amount of loss with short selling, (i.e. the price of the short-sold stocks increases; the long position can only go down to $0).

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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MEDICAL TESTS: The Surprise Paradox

By Staff Reporters

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THE SURPRISE MEDICAL TEST PARADOX

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Classic Definition:  A doctor announces to her hospitalized patient that there will be a painful medical test sometime during the following week. The patient begins to speculate about when it might occur, until another patient announces that there is no reason to worry because a medical surprise test is impossible.

The test cannot be given on Friday, because by the end of the day on Thursday we would know that the test must be given the next day. Nor can the test be given on Thursday, because, given that we know that the test cannot be given on Friday, by the end of the day on Wednesday we would know that the test must be given the next day. And likewise for Wednesday, Tuesday, and Monday!

Modern Circumstance: The patient spends a restful weekend not worrying about the test, yet is very surprised when it is given on Wednesday. How could this happen?

Paradox Example: There are various versions of this paradox; one of them, called the Hangman, concerns a condemned prisoner who is clever but ultimately overconfident. The implications of the paradox are as yet unclear, and there is virtually no agreement about how it should be solved.

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FINANCIAL YIELDS: All About Fixed Income Securities

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Yield: For bonds and other fixed-income securities, yield is a rate of return on those securities. There are several types of yields and yield calculations. “Yield to maturity” is a common calculation for fixed-income securities, which takes into account total annual interest payments, the purchase price, the redemption value, and the amount of time remaining until maturity.

Yield curve: A line graph showing the yields of fixed income securities from a single sector (such as Treasuries or municipals), but from a range of different maturities (typically three months to 30 years), at a single point in time (often at month-, quarter- or year-end). Maturities are plotted on the x-axis of the graph, and yields are plotted on the y-axis. The resulting line is a key bond market benchmark and a leading economic indicator.

Yield to maturity [real yield to maturity]: Yield to maturity is a common performance calculation for fixed-income securities, which takes into account total annual interest payments, the purchase price, the redemption value, and the amount of time remaining until maturity. Real yield to maturity is simply yield to maturity minus any “inflation premium” that had been added/priced in. (See Real yield.)

Yield ratio: A ratio of one yield divided by another. Most often used as a relative value measurement.

Yield spread: A “spread,” in fixed income parlance, is simply a difference. Yield spreads measure yield differences, typically between debt securities with high credit ratings (which typically have lower yields) and those with lower ratings (which typically have higher yields). Yield spreads can also be measured between debt securities with different maturities (shorter-maturity securities typically have lower yields and longer-maturity securities typically have higher yields).

Yield trap: An investment that can lure investors with an attractive yield that may not be fundamentally sustainable, or that may lead to undesired price volatility. Yield traps can lurk in both the equity and fixed income markets. They have a tendency to prey on those who can least afford them, including retirement investors looking for increased relative income and stability, who may have been too focused on their income goals and not enough on stability.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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PHYSICIAN: Pay Cuts in 2025

By Staff Reporters

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Doctors, Facing Another Pay Cut, Call for Permanent Medicare Payment Reform

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is moving forward with a 2.9% cut to physician payments in 2025 despite protest from major industry groups. CMS has finalized the calendar year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule that sets payment rates for next year and also outlines new policies focused on primary care, preserved telehealth flexibilities, and a strengthened Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). 

But, provider groups were quick to condemn CMS’ decision to go ahead with the pay cut, which was proposed in the draft rule released in July. In a statement, Bruce Scott, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), pointed out that that while physicians are receiving a 2.8% payment cut next year, medical practice costs for physicians will increase by 3.5% in 2025. After adjusted for inflation, Medicare reimbursement to physicians has decreased 29% since 2001, the AMA says.

Source: Heather Landi, Fierce Healthcare [11/2/24]

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Take the Physician-Focused FINANCIAL PLAN “Challenge”

Do You Have “What it Takes”?

Book Marcinko

DEM 2

By Professor David E. Marcinko MBBS DPM MBA MEd CMP®

Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc.

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www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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My History

More than 20 years ago I crafted a comprehensive holistic financial plan for a young doctor colleague who was born in 1959. In fact, he was not even a medical student at the time; so “canned off-the-shelf plans”, computer generated software or generic spread sheets were not a viable creation option. It was all a granular, detailed, specific and cognitive work-product. Today, he is a board-certified internist.

So, in 2023, it is right and just to take a look back and see how well, or poorly, we’ve fared.

Now, I appreciate more than most how financial planning is a “process”; and not an isolated event. Yet, all sorts of “advisors” and “consultants” create and charge hefty fees for same, and on-going monitoring, every day.

The ME-P Challenge

Nevertheless, I challenge all you mid-career or senior financial planners /advisors to this competition; regardless of degree, certification or designation.

“Show me your financial plan” – AND – “I’ll show you my financial plan”

Here Comes the Judge

Then, our community of ME-P readers, subscribers, visitors and “judges” will decide the winner.

The contest is open to any financial advisor, planner, consultant, wealth manager, CFP®, CFA, insurance agent, CPA or CLU, ChFC, or stock-broker, etc., who is not afraid of transparency in his or her work product and purported expertise.

Of Financial Certifications and Designations

*** [Creating and Evaluating a physician focused financial plan]

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Assessment

So, just send in a copy of any “blinded” physician-focused financial plan that is about 21 years old. We will post for all to see and review …. warts and all … including my own; three part mega-plan!

The winner will receive bragging rights, academic swagger, and expert promotion to our entire ME-P ecosystem and network of medical, business, law and graduate school communities; as well as physicians, nurses, healthcare executives and allied health care professionals.

An informed sought-after and lucrative sector – indeed!

IOW: Free publicity and positive “new-wave” PR – PRICELESS!

Of course, as an educator and professor of health economics and finance, we are pleased to present you with the deep medical business knowledge and detailed financial,managerial and accounting techniques used, with some real-life “tips and pearls” developed over the last two decades of R&D, right here:

MORE: Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors[Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™]

MORE: Risk Management Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors [Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™]

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

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Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™           8Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

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PART 1: My Sample Financial Plan I [Data gathering, goals and objectives]

PART 2: My Sample Financial Plan II [Data Analytics, Creation and Crafting]

PART 3: Request here: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com [Stress Testing and Completion]

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BONDS: Zero Coupon [Pros & Cons]

DEFINITIONS

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Zero-coupon securities (aka zeros) are debt securities [bonds] that, unlike most of their debt security counterparts, make no periodic interest payments to investors. Instead, they are sold at a deep discount (with an imputed interest rate priced into the discount), then redeemed for their full face value at maturity.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

When held to maturity, a zero’s entire return comes from the difference between its purchase price and its value at maturity.

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ANGUS DEATON’S: Paradox

By Staff Reporters

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Angus Deaton’s 1980s studies, including one called “Why is consumption so smooth?” gave birth to a concept called the Deaton Paradox — in short, sharp shocks to income didn’t seem to cause similarly large shocks to consumption.

IOW: Consumption varies surprisingly smoothly despite sharp variations in income.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

According to David Henderson, this was an important development in understanding the actions of consumers, causing economists to rethink the “permanent income hypothesis” developed by Milton Friedman, which suggested that people spend based on their lifetime income.

And, Mike Bird wrote a good article on Deaton the highlighted the Nobel Prize in Economics Committee.

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ECONOMIC: Paradoxes all Financial Advisors Should Know

BY DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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A paradox is a logic and self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one’s expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true or apparently true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion. A paradox usually involves contradictory-yet-interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time. They result in “persistent contradiction between interdependent elements” leading to a lasting “unity of opposites”.

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And so, as we plan for our financial future thru a New Year Resolution for 2025, it’s helpful to be cognizant of these paradoxes. While there’s nothing we can do to control or change them, there is great value in being aware of them, so we can approach them with the right tools and the right mindset.

According to Adam Grossman, here are seven [7] of the paradoxes that can bedevil financial decision-making, clients and financial advisors, alike:

  1. There’s the paradox that all of the greatest fortunes—Carnegie, Rockefeller, Buffett, Gates—have been made by owning just one stock. And yet the best advice for individual investors is to do the opposite: to own broadly diversified index funds. More: https://tinyurl.com/285vftx4
  2. There’s the paradox that the stock market may appear over valued and yet it could become even more overvalued before it eventually declines. And when it does decline, it may be to a level that is even higher than where it is today.
  3. There’s the paradox that we make plans based on our understanding of the rules—and yet Congress can change the rules on us at any time, as the recent 2024 election results attest.
  4. There’s the paradox that we base our plans on historical averages—average stock market returns, average interest rates, average inflation rates and so on—and yet we only lead one life, so none of us will experience the average.
  5. There’s the paradox that we continue to be attracted to the prestige of high-cost colleges, even though rational analysis that looks at return on investment tells us that lower-cost state schools are usually the better bet.
  6. There’s the paradox that early retirement seems so appealing—and has even turned into a movement—and yet the reality of early retirement suggests that we might be better off staying at our desks.
  7. There’s the paradox that retirees’ worst fear is outliving their money and yet few choose the financial product that is purpose-built to solve that problem: the single-premium immediate annuity.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

How should you respond to these paradoxes? As you plan for your financial future, embrace the concept of “loosely held views.”

In other words, make financial plans, but continuously update your views, question your assumptions and rethink your priorities.

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PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE: The Paradox

BY DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO MBA MEd CMP

Sponsor: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Classic Definition: Despite rising costs, health care often is of poor quality. Evidence from a classic medical improvement outcomes study assessed care of patients with several chronic diseases. This study found that patients’ functional health status outcomes are similar to care rendered by specialists and generalists but that generalists use far fewer resources. Similar outcome at lower cost represents higher value.

Modern Circumstance: Current solutions to improving care quality may do more harm than good if they focus more on diseases than on people. Efforts to improve the parts (evidence-based care of specific diseases) may not necessarily improve the whole (the health of people and populations).

Expanding access to specialty care, for example, has been proposed as both a source of and a solution for deficiencies in quality of care. Primary care is touted as an essential building block of a high-value health care system even as it is undermined by systems attempting to improve the quality, effectiveness, and value of their health care..

Paradox Example: The above contradictions plague improvement efforts in health care systems around the world, particularly the United States The paradox is that compared with specialty care or with systems dominated by specialty medical care, primary care is associated with the following: (1) poorer quality care for individual diseases, yet (2) similar functional health status at lower cost for people with chronic disease, and (3) better quality, better health, greater health  equity and lower costs for whole peoples and populations.

And so, this contradiction plagues improvement efforts in health care systems around the world, particularly the United States.

Cite: Kurt Stange MD PhD and Robert Ferrer MD MPH

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GIBSON’S PARADOX: Inaccurate Economic Observations

Why were interest rates and prices correlated?

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Gibson’s paradox is based on an economic observation made by British economist Alfred Herbert Gibson regarding the positive correlation between interest rates and wholesale price levels. John Maynard Keynes later called this relationship a paradox because he claimed that it could not be explained by existing economic theories.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

There have been possible explanations raised by economists to solve Gibson’s paradox over the decades. But as long as the relationship between interest rates and prices remains artificially de-linked, there may not be enough interest by today’s macro-economists to pursue it any further.

In the end, Gibson’s paradox was neither Gibson’s (having been previously discovered by others) nor a true paradox (as plausible explanations already existed at the time of Keynes’s writing and more have been explored since) and is of little interest beyond being a historical footnote to the gold standard era.

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BRICS: Economics Defined

By Staff Reporters

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BRIC is an acronym for the economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa,combined.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

These are considered to be large developing economies that are part of a global, twenty-first century shift in economic power and influence away from the more established, traditional developed economies of the twentieth century.

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SORTINO: A Financial Risk Ratio

DEFINED

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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The Sortino Ratio is similar to the Sharpe Ratio, it is a measure of risk-adjusted performance which looks at returns through the lens of the risk taken to achieve that performance, but instead of volatility of return, it uses downside variance as its measure of risk.

SHARP RATIO: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2021/11/08/introducing-the-sharp-index/

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MEMORY: Fallibility

By Staff Reporters

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Memory is Fallible. Think you have a great memory? Think again.

According to psychologist and colleague Dan Ariely PhD, memory is more like a game of telephone than a recording device. Each time you recall an event, your brain makes tiny edits, adding some flair or skipping the boring parts. It’s why you can’t remember where you left your keys but can vividly recall an embarrassing moment from high school.

So, the next time someone says, “I remember it like it was yesterday,” know that yesterday might be a heavily edited rerun.

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REO versus REIT

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Real Estate Operating Company (REOC)

A company that invests in real estate and whose shares trade on a public exchange.

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

A real estate operating company (REOC) is similar to a real estate investment trust (REIT), except that an REOC will reinvest its earnings into the business, rather than distributing them to unit holders like REITs do.

Also, REOCs are more flexible than REITs in terms of what types of real estate investments they can make.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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FINANCIAL Derivatives

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Derivatives are securities whose performance and/or structure is derived from the performance and/or structure of other assets, interest rates, or indexes. If used moderately and in appropriate situations, derivatives can help stabilize portfolios and/or enhance returns. However, if used in excess and/or in inappropriate circumstances, they can be harmful, potentially causing portfolio instability and/or losses. Derivatives are similar to medicine in their behavior–usually safe when used as directed, potentially toxic when abused.

There are many different types of derivative securities and many different ways to use them. Some derivative securities, such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities.

Futures and options are commonly used for traditional hedging purposes to attempt to protect portfolios from exposure to changing interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates, and for cash management purposes as a low-cost method of gaining exposure to a particular securities market without investing directly in those securities.

Certain other derivative securities may be described as structured investments. A structured investment is a security whose value or performance is linked to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments include collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs). Structured investments also include securities backed by other types of collateral.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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KENNETH ARROW: Information Paradox

To sell information you need to give it away before the sale

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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THE FATHER OF HEALTH ECONOMICS

According to Wikipedia, a fundamental tenet of the paradox is that the customer, i.e. the potential purchaser of the information describing a technology (or other information having some value, such as facts), wants to know the technology and what it does in sufficient detail as to understand its capabilities or have information about the facts or products to decide whether or not to buy it. Once the customer has this detailed knowledge, however, the seller has in effect transferred the technology to the customer without any compensation. This has been argued to show the need for patent protection [HIPPA].

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

If the buyer trusts the seller or is protected via contract, then they only need to know the results that the technology will provide, along with any caveats for its usage in a given context. A problem is that sellers lie, they may be mistaken, one or both sides overlook side consequences for usage in a given context, or some unknown-unknown affects the actual outcome.

MORE :https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1972/arrow/facts/

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CURRENCY OPTIONS: Hedging and Overlays

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Currency Hedging is a risk-management strategy, as part of a foreign investment strategy, currency hedging is designed to reduce the impact from changes in the relative values of currencies involved in the foreign investment strategy.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

In any foreign investment strategy, a significant part of the potential risk and return comes from exposure to relative currency value fluctuations. If exposure to those currency fluctuations is minimized, investors can experience more of a “pure play” exposure to the foreign investments. There is a variety of possible currency hedging strategies, ranging from swaps, options, and spot contracts to simply buying foreign currencies.

Currency Overlay is a financial trading strategy used to separate the management of currency risk from other portfolio strategies. A currency overlay manager can seek to hedge the risk from adverse movements in exchange rates, and/or attempt to profit from tactical currency views.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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DAILY UPDATE: FOMC Cuts Interest Rates as Stock Markets Rise

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

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The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points Thursday, the second consecutive cut after a two-year rate-hike run to curb post-pandemic inflation.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

What’s up

  • Lyft announced impressive earnings results thanks to more commuters using the ride-hailing service, as well as upbeat guidance for the future. Shares rose 22.92%.
  • Shareholders worried about a housing market slowdown hurting Zillow had nothing to fear: The real estate website crushed earnings estimates, and shares popped 23.77%.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery enjoyed its biggest single-quarter surge in subscribers ever thanks to streaming service Max, which sent shares soaring 11.81%.
  • Under Armour rocketed 23.33% higher after its cost-savings plan paid off last quarter and management guided for a strong quarter ahead.
  • Planet Fitness surprised shareholders with a solid quarter for the gym giant, as well as forecasts of more growth ahead. Shares climbed 11.26%.
  • Prison operators GEO Group and CoreCivic both surged on Trump’s election, and their rally continued today—in-spite of very different paths forward for each stock. GEO Group gained 13.63%, while CoreCivic rose 25.60%.

What’s down

  • Trump Media & Technology Group was one of the biggest winners on election night, and although the stock soared over the last few days, investors decided to take profits today. Shares sank 22.97%.
  • Wolfspeed plummeted 39.24% after announcing larger-than-expected losses last quarter, poor forecasts for next quarter, and layoffs to cut costs.
  • Match Group shareholders were heartbroken to hear that Tinder’s revenue fell last quarter, though strong revenue growth from Hinge helped ease the pain. Shares dropped 17.87%.
  • Virgin Galactic isn’t just a mean nickname from your high school years—it’s also a space stock that can’t make money to save its life. Shares fell 11.87%.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 44.06 points (0.74%) to 5,973.10; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 0.59 points (0.00%) to 43,729.34; and the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) gained 285.99 points (1.51%) to 19,269.46.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell nine basis points to 4.34%, with most of the drop coming long before the Fed decision.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) continued its post-election plunge to 15.21.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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INVESTING NEWS: Stocks, Bonds, Oil, Gold, Bitcoin and Sectors Review Post Election

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

BREAKING NEWS!

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  • Stocks surged and stayed higher all yesterday day on news of Donald Trump’s presidential victory. The Dow rocketed over 1,350 points as soon as markets opened, and all three indexes ended the day at record highs.
  • Treasury yields have paralleled Trump’s chances of taking the White House for the last few weeks, and his election sent them soaring to over 4.46% at one point today.
  • Oil and gold both fell as the dollar rose after Trump’s win. The greenback popped on the promise of Trump’s protectionist tariff policies and the lower likelihood of the Fed cutting interest rates as fast as previously expected.
  • Bitcoin surged as traders celebrated the beginning of the new, friendlier regulatory environment that Trump promised during his campaign.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Sector check-up

  • Financials were the biggest sector mover Wednesday, up 6.16%, hitting a new high.
  • Industrials were up 3.93% Wednesday, hitting a new high.
  • Energy was up 3.54% in the session. It’s now 4.28% from the April high.
  • Real Estate fell 2.64% during trading. It’s now 5.6% from the high. 
  • Consumer Staples fell 1.5%. The sector is 5.76% from the September high.
  • Utilities fell 1%. It’s now 5.72% from the mid-October high.
  • Duke Energy was flat over the past three months, and it is 6.3% from the October high.

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HINDSIGHT BIAS: The “Curse of Knowledge”

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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The Curse of Knowledge and Hindsight Bias

Similar in ways to the availability heuristic (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974) and to some extent, the false consensus effect, once you (truly) understand a new piece of information, that piece of information is now available to you and often becomes seemingly obvious. It might be easy to forget that there was ever a time you didn’t know this information and so, you assume that others, like yourself, also know this information: the curse of knowledge.

Cite: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/11/18/what-is-the-dunning-kruger-effect/

However, according to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, it is often an unfair assumption that others share the same knowledge. The hindsight bias is similar to the curse of knowledge in that once we have information about an event, it then seems obvious that it was going to happen all along.

I should have seen it [divorce, stock market crash/soar my smoking & lung cancer, unemployment, etc] coming!

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INVESTING RISKS: Retained Earnings, Weighted Assets and Sequence of Return

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Retained Earnings Risk: Profits generated by a company that are not distributed to stockholders as dividends. Instead, they are either reinvested in the business or kept as a reserve for specific objectives, such as paying off debt or purchasing equipment. Retained earnings risks are also called “undistributed profits,” “undistributed earnings,” or “earned surplus.”

Risk-Weighted (or risk-adjusted) Assets: Within the context of measuring the financial stability of banks and other financial institutions, the risk-weighted assets figure is an aggregate of a financial institution’s assets (usually loans to its customers) after the loans have been individually adjusted for their risk. This involves multiplying each loan by a factor that reflects its risk. Low-risk loans are multiplied by a low number, high-risk by high. The aggregate number can then be used to calculate the financial institution’s capital ratio. Lower risk-weighted assets typically result in higher capital ratios, and higher risk-weighted assets usually translate to lower capital ratios.

Sequence-of-Returns Risk: The risk of market conditions impacting the overall returns of an investment portfolio during the period when a retiree is first starting to withdrawal money from investments as income. For example, if a retiree has to withdrawal income from his or her portfolio when market prices are depressed, the portfolio may lose out on the potential returns that income could have made once market prices recovered.

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GDP: Private Domestic Health Care Investments

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

GROSS PRIVATE DOMESTIC HEALTH CARE INVESTMENTS

Classic:  Investment purchases and private expenditures of healthcare firms, the value of related construction, and the change in inventory during the year.

Modern: Gross Revenue Per Day is the average amount charged by a hospital for one day of inpatient care (gross inpatient revenue divided by patient-census days).

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Examples:

  • Gross Revenue Per Discharge: The average amount charged by a hospital to treat an inpatient from admission to discharge (gross inpatient revenue divided by discharges).
  • Gross Revenue Per Visit: The average amount charged by a hospital for an outpatient visit (gross outpatient revenue divided by outpatient visits).

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Big Technology Stocks

By Staff Reporters

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After its AI-related earnings disappointed Wall Street last quarter, Big Tech doubled down in the latest period:

  • Amazon spent $22.6 billion on property and equipment like data centers and chips. That’s an 81% spike from the same time last year.
  • Meta raised its low-end guidance for capex (capital expenditures), which could reach $40 billion by the end of the year. It beat earnings estimates, even with AR glasses subsidiary Reality Labs costing $4.4 billion in operating losses.
  • Apple is still betting on Apple Intelligence to boost sales. Most revenue came from the new iPhone 16, Apple Watch, and AirPods, but Apple services like TV+ and iCloud also grew massively to account for a quarter of the business.
  • Google crushed earnings estimates and revealed that more than 25% of all new code it writes is generated by AI (and reviewed by engineers).

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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DAILY UPDATE: CVS Splits as Stocks Down in Slow Session

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

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Among consideration for CVS is splitting up its assets: CVS Pharmacy, pharmacy benefit manager CVS Caremark, and insurance arm Aetna. The company has reportedly been in talks with bankers about the move, Reuters reported early this month.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

STOCKS UP

  • Just as Nvidia will replace Intel, Sherwin Williams will replace Dow Inc. on the Dow (how embarrassing, getting kicked off an index you share a name with). Sherwin Williams popped 4.59%, while Dow Inc. fell 2.08%.
  • Chewy is also getting added to an index, replacing Stericycle on the MidCap 400. Shares rose 6.34%.
  • Peloton pedaled 3.59% higher on a double upgrade from Bank of America analysts, who like the bike company’s higher profit outlook and hiring of new CEO Peter Stern from Ford.
  • Yum! China, the company that operates Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants in China, climbed 7.12% after announcing that new store openings translated into better-than-expected revenue and earnings last quarter.

STOCKS DOWN

Nuclear energy stocks took a big hit today after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled that Talen Energy could not increase the amount of energy its nuclear plant in Susquehanna, PA, produces in order to power an Amazon data center. Talen fell 2.23%, Vistra Corp sank 3.18%, and Constellation Energy plummeted 12.46%.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) dipped 16.11 points (–0.28%) to 5,712.69; the $DJI dropped 257.59 points (–0.61%) to 41,794.60; and the $COMP lost 59.93 points (–0.33%) to 18,179.98.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell five basis points to 4.31%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX)edged up to 22.11, still below last week’s peaks.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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ECONOMICS: John B. Taylor’s Rule

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Named for a U.S. economist, the JB Taylor Rule is a mathematical monetary-policy formula that recommends how much a central bank should change its nominal short-term interest rate target (such as the U.S. Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate target) in response to changes in economic conditions, particularly inflation and economic growth. It’s typically viewed as guideline for raising short-term interest rates as inflation and potentially inflationary pressures increase. The rule recommends a relatively high interest rate (“tight” monetary policy) when inflation is above its target or when the economy is above its full employment level, and a relatively low interest rate (“easy” monetary policy) under the opposite conditions.

To illustrate, the monetary policy of the FOMC, changed throughout the 20th century. The period between the 1960s and the 1970s is evaluated by Taylor and others as a period of poor monetary policy; the later years typically characterized as stagflation. The inflation rate was high and increasing, while interest rates were kept low. Since the mid-1970s monetary targets have been used in many countries as a means to target inflation.

However, in the 2000s the actual interest rate in advanced economics, notably in the US, was kept below the value suggested by the Taylor rule.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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HFRI: Fund of Funds Composite Index

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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HFRI: Fund of Funds invests with multiple managers through funds or managed accounts. The strategy designs a diversified portfolio of managers with the objective of significantly lowering the risk (volatility) of investing with an individual manager.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

The Fund of Funds manager may allocate funds to numerous managers within a single strategy, or with numerous managers in multiple strategies. The investor has the advantage of diversification among managers and styles with significantly less capital than investing with separate managers.

HFRI: https://hfr-wp-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/05142042/HFRI_formulaic_methodology.pdf

The HFRI Fund of Funds Index is not included in the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index.

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Recent Court Actions Provide Insight into Future of Fraud & Abuse Laws

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

Two recent court actions may serve as harbingers for the future of healthcare fraud and abuse laws. In September 2024, a federal judge in the Southern District of West Virginia ordered parties in a qui tam False Claims Act and Stark Law case to brief the court on the implications of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo on the interpretation of the Stark Law to the case at hand.

That same month, a federal judge in the Middle District of Florida dismissed a qui tam lawsuit on a novel theory that the False Claims Act’s whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional.

This Health Capital Topics article discusses these cases and the potential impact on federal fraud and abuse laws. (Read more…)

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IN & OUT OF NETWORK: Medical Care

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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What does in-network mean?

In-network refers to a health care provider that has a contract with your health plan to provide health care services to its plan members at a pre-negotiated rate. Because of this relationship, you pay a lower cost-sharing when you receive services from an in-network doctor.

What does out-of-network mean?

Out-of-network refers to a health care provider who does not have a contract with your health insurance plan. If you use an out-of-network provider, health care services could cost more since the provider doesn’t have a pre-negotiated rate with your health plan. Or, depending on your health plan, the health care services may not be covered at all.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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OUT OF NETWORK [OON] MEDICAL CARE

Classic: Any medical provider, supplier or facility that is in-network is one that has contracted with your health insurer to provide services;as above.

Modern: Depending on your plan, if you visit an out-of-network provider, it may not be covered or might be only partially covered. When making appointments with various doctors and service providers, you may notice some are listed as “in-network” while others are “out-of-network.”

THINK: Medicare Advantage {Part C] Plans

Example: You can expect a higher deductible and out-of-pocket limit at out-of-network providers. Your coinsurance and co-payment may also be higher for out-of-network providers.

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STRIPES: Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities)

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

DEFINITIONS

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STRIPS (Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities) is an acronym that describes both a government bond issuance program and the securities issued by the program. STRIPS are a form of zero-coupon security (defined below) created under the U.S. Treasury’s STRIPS program.

Originally, zero-coupon securities were created by broker-dealers who bought Treasury bonds and deposited these securities with a custodian bank. The broker-dealers then sold receipts representing ownership interests in the coupons or principal portions of the bonds.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Some examples of zero-coupon securities sold through custodial receipt programs are CATS (Certificates of Accrual on Treasury Securities), TIGRs (Treasury Investment Growth Receipts) and generic TRs (Treasury Receipts). The U.S. Treasury subsequently introduced a program called Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities (STRIPS), through which it exchanges eligible securities for their component parts and then allows the component parts to trade in book-entry form.

STRIPS are direct obligations of the U.S. government and have the same credit risks as other U.S. Treasury securities. STRIPS are generally considered the most liquid (easily bought and sold) zero-coupon securities.

GOVERNMENT: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/marketable-securities/strips/

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EMPLOYER’S: Pay for Health Insurance Paradox

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Classic Definition: Employers write checks that cover most health insurance premiums for employees and their dependents. But as the late Princeton health economist Uwe Reinhardt PhD once explained, employer-sponsored insurance is like a pickpocket taking money out of your wallet at a bar and buying you a drink. You appreciate the cocktail until you realize you paid for it yourself.

Modern Circumstance: With health coverage, employers write the check to the insurer, but employees bear the cost of the premium — the entire premium, not just the portion listed as their contribution on their pay stub. The premium money that goes to the insurance company is cash that employers would otherwise deposit in employees’ accounts like the rest of their salary.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Paradox Example: The fallacy paradox is in thinking an employer’s contribution comes out of profits. In fact, higher health insurance premiums mean lower wages for workers. Since 1999, health insurance premiums have increased 147 percent and employer profits have increased 148 percent. But in that time, average wages have hardly moved, increasing just 7 percent. Clearly workers’ wages, not corporate profits, have been paying for higher health insurance premiums. Health care costs are one — though not the only — reason wages have stagnated over the last few decades. With health insurance costs rising faster than growth in the economy, more labor costs go to benefits like health insurance and less to take-home pay. Yet the paradox that employees don’t pay for their own health insurance is widespread:

  • The first reason is that individuals cannot be sure what causes their wages to change or remain stagnant for decades.
  • The second reason is that employers want Americans to believe that they pay for their workers’ health insurance.
  • The third reason is that there are those who profit from the employment-based system: drug companies, device manufacturers, specialty physicians and high-income individuals.

And so, they all want you to believe companies are being magnanimous in giving you insurance, but they are not!

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CREDIT: All About Contractual Agreements

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

DEFINITIONS

What Is CREDIT? Credit is a contractual agreement in which a borrower receives a sum of money or something else of value and commits to repaying the lender later, typically with interest. Credit is also the creditworthiness or credit history of an individual or a company. Good credit tells lenders you have a history of reliably repaying what you owe on loans. Establishing good credit is essential to getting a loan.

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Credit Analysis is a form of financial analysis used primarily to determine the financial strength of the issuer of a security, and the ability of that issuer to provide timely payment of interest and principal to investors in the issuer’s debt securities. Credit analysis is typically an important component of security analysis and selection in credit-sensitive bond sectors such as the corporate bond market and the municipal bond market.

Credit Default Swap Index (CDX) is a credit derivative, based on a basket of CDS, which can be used to hedge credit risk or speculate on changes in credit quality.

Credit Default Swaps (CDS) are credit derivative contracts between two counter parties that can be used to hedge credit risk or speculate on changes in the credit quality of a corporation or government entity.

Credit Quality reflects the financial strength of the issuer of a security, and the ability of that issuer to provide timely payment of interest and principal to investors in the issuer’s securities. Common measurements of credit quality include the credit ratings provided by credit rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. Credit quality and credit quality perceptions are a key component of the daily market pricing of fixed-income securities, along with maturity, inflation expectations and interest rate levels.

Credit Rating Agency (CRA) is a company that assigns credit ratings for issuers of certain types of debt obligations as well as the debt instruments themselves. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits investment banks and broker-dealers to use credit ratings from “Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations” (NRSRO) for similar purposes. As of January 2012, nine organizations were designated as NRSROs, including the “Big Three” which are Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s Investor Services and Fitch Ratings.

A Credit Rating Downgrade by a credit rating agency (such as Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s or Fitch), of reducing its credit rating for a debt issuer and/or security. This is based on the agency’s evaluation, indicating, to the agency, a decline in the issuer’s financial stability, increasing the possibility of default (defined below). A downgrade should not to be confused with a default; a debt security can be downgraded without defaulting. (And, conversely, a debt issuer can suddenly default without being downgraded first–credit ratings and credit rating agencies are not infallible.)

Credit Ratings are measurements of credit quality provided by credit rating agencies). Those provided by Standard & Poor’s typically are the most widely quoted and distributed, and range from AAA (highest quality; perceived as least likely to default) down to D (in default). Securities and issuers rated AAA to BBB are considered/perceived to be “investment-grade”; those below BBB are considered/perceived to be non-investment-grade or more speculative.

Credit Risk is the risk that the inability or perceived inability of the issuers of debt securities to make interest and principal payments will cause the value of those securities to decrease. Changes in the credit ratings of debt securities could have a similar effect.

Credit Risk Transfer Securities (CRTS) are the unsecured obligations of the GSEs (Government Sponsored Enterprises). Although cash flows are linked to prepays and defaults of the reference mortgage loans, the securities are unsecured loans, backed by general credit rather than by specified assets.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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EARNINGS REPORTS: Magnificent Seven Stocks

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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  • Investors waited for the Magnificent 7 stock reports to begin rolling last evening. The NASDAQ rose to a new high on optimism while the Dow Jones fell, and the S&P 500 split the difference.
  • Alphabet announced earnings after the bell yesterday, Microsoft and Meta Platforms reveal their latest quarters today, Amazon and Apple on Thursday afternoon.
  • The 10-year Treasury yield hit a 4-month high this afternoon before paring back a bit as traders struggle to find a signal in all the market noise.
  • Oil rebounded a bit from yesterday’s terrible day, though it still ended the trading session lower.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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“HOT STATE”: A Decision Paradox

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

DEFINITION

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Ever tried making a decision when you’re angry or excited? According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, that’s a hot state – when emotions run high and logic takes a backseat. It’s like trying to think clearly in the middle of a storm.

Be you a doctor, CPA, attorney, engineer, husband, wife, parent, teacher or all others. In a hot state, we’re impulsive, making choices we might regret later. It’s why cooling off before making big decisions is always a good idea.

So, when your emotions are boiling over, take a step back, breathe, and wait for the storm to pass. You’ll make better choices when you’re in a calm, cool state.

MORE: https://tinyurl.com/3hsnvx9r

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BARRA: A Security Risk Factor Analysis

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Barra Risk Factor Analysis was created by Barra Inc.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

It is a multi-factor model measures the overall risk associated with a security relative to the market. And, it incorporates over 40 data metrics, including earnings growth, share turnover and senior debt rating.

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MOST VALUABLE: Stocks, Economic Indicators and Markets

By Staff Reporters

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The five most valuable US companies in the S&P 500 report earnings this week, and updates on three key economic indicators are set to be released: 1. gross domestic product, 2. inflation, and 3. jobs report. Then, next week brings the election and another expected rate cut from the Federal Reserve.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

  • Markets: All three stock indexes rose to start a week that will be filled with high-stakes data.
  • Stock spotlight: Trump Media & Technology Group gained almost 22% on Monday, following the former president and current GOP candidate’s Madison Square Garden rally. The rose means that Trump Media, which includes Truth Social, is now more valuable than Elon Musk’s X.

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RUSSELL®: Indexes

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

DEFINITION

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Russell 1000® Growth Index: Measures the performance of those Russell 1000 Index companies (the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

Russell 1000® Index: A market-capitalization weighted, large-cap index created by Frank Russell Company to measure the performance of the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization.

Russell 1000® Value Index: Measures the performance of those Russell 1000 Index companies (the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

Russell 2000® Growth Index: Measures the performance of those Russell 2000 Index companies (the 2,000 smallest of the 3,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

Russell 2000® Index: Market-capitalization weighted index created by Frank Russell Company to measure the performance of the 2,000 smallest of the 3,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization.

Russell 2000® Value Index: Measures the performance of those Russell 2000 Index companies (the 2,000 smallest of the 3,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

Russell 2500™ Growth Index: Measures the performance of those Russell 2500 Index companies (the 2,500 smallest of the 3,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

Russell 2500™ Index: A market-capitalization weighted index created by Frank Russell Company to measure the performance of the 2,500 smallest of the 3,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization.

Russell 2500™ Value Index: Measures the performance of those Russell 2500 Index companies (the 2,500 smallest of the 3,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

Russell 3000® Growth Index: Measures the performance of the broad growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 3000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

Russell 3000® Index: Measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market.

Russell 3000® Utilities Index: A sub-index of the Russell 3000 Index, is a capitalization weighted index of companies in industries heavily affected by government regulation, including among others, basic public service providers (electricity, gas and water), telecommunication services, and oil and gas companies.

Russell 3000® Value Index: Measures the performance of the broad value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 3000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

Russell Midcap® Growth Index: Measures the performance of those Russell Midcap Index companies (the 800 smallest of the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

Russell Midcap® Index: Measures the performance of the 800 smallest of the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization.

Russell Midcap® Value Index: Measures the performance of those Russell Midcap Index companies (the 800 smallest of the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on total market capitalization) with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

Russell Top 200® Index: Measures the performance of the 200 largest securities of the 3,000 publicly traded U.S. companies in the Russell 3000® Index, based on total market capitalization. It is not an investment product available for purchase.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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CORPORATE EARNINGS: Quarterly Reports

By Staff Reporters

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Peak earnings season: Five of the Magnificent Seven Stocks will be among the 181 companies reporting their earnings this week. Alphabet is in the Mag Seven lead-off spot on Tuesday, Microsoft and Meta step to the plate on Wednesday, and Apple and Amazon rounding out the lineup and this baseball metaphor on Thursday. These companies account for almost 25% of the S&P 500, which is up 40% over the past year and not far off its record closing number from earlier this month. But, the approaching election, it could be a volatile week in the stock markets.

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  • Markets: Stocks are currently driving the narrative on Wall Street. Last week, bonds sold off in a big way (driving yields to their highest level since July) in a sign investors are dialing back expectations of more aggressive rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.
  • Stocks nevertheless handled the bond volatility with aplomb, and with help from Tesla’s 22% one-day rise, the NASDAQ is sitting within 2% of its record high.

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PENSION PLANS: Defined Benefit V. Defined Contribution Types

Definition

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

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Defined Benefit Pension Plan

A defined benefit (DB) pension plan is a type of pension plan in which an employer/sponsor promises a specified pension payment, lump-sum or combination thereof on retirement that is predetermined by a formula based on the employee’s earnings history, tenure of service and age, rather than depending directly on individual investment returns.

Traditionally, many governmental and public entities, as well as a large number of corporations, provide defined benefit plans, sometimes as a means of compensating workers in lieu of increased pay.

CITE: Wikipedia

Defined Contribution Pension Plan

A defined contribution (DC) plan is a type of retirement plan in which the employer, employee or both make contributions on a regular basis. Individual accounts are set up for participants and benefits are based on the amounts credited to these accounts (through employee contributions and, if applicable, employer contributions) plus any investment earnings on the money in the account. In defined contribution plans, future benefits fluctuate on the basis of investment earnings.

The most common type of defined contribution plan is a savings and thrift plan. Under this type of plan, the employee contributes a predetermined portion of his or her earnings (usually pretax) to an individual account, all or part of which is matched by the employer.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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DAILY UPDATE: Stocks Finish with New NASDAQ High

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The SPX fell 1.74 points (–0.03%) to 5,808.12 to end the week down 0.96%; the $DJI lost 259.96 points (–0.61%) to 42,114.40 to end the week down 2.68%; and the $COMP rose 103.12 points (0.56%) to 18,518.61 to end the week up 0.16%.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) added three basis points to 4.23%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) climbed sharply to 19.95, nearing recent highs. The 20 level is an area to watch next week, as it traditionally signals more volatile markets.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Stocks Up

  • Pick a direction already: On Wednesday, Spirit Airlines soared 30% on news of a possible merger with Frontier. On Thursday, shares plunged 21% as investors took their profits. Today, shares are back up 15.05% after Spirit announced it will cut jobs and sell planes in an effort to boost profits.
  • Texas Roadhouse sizzled like a porterhouse T-bone, rising 3.58% after announcing that earnings rose 32% last quarter.
  • Deckers Outdoor popped 10.57% thanks to soaring demand for Hoka shoes, helping the footwear company beat earnings estimates and raise forecasts.
  • Newell Brands may not be a household name, but they make household goods like Sharpies, Elmer’s Glue, and Crock-Pot—all things that people bought a ton of last quarter, which is why shares soared 21.59% today.
  • Apple is just fine, thanks: The Market Cap King got a rare analyst downgrade from KeyBanc, which is worried about lower demand from China. Shareholders were unfazed, and the stock rose 0.36%.

STOCKS DOWN

  • AutoNation hasn’t shaken off the aftereffects of a major cyberattack in July just yet, which is why revenue and earnings both missed estimates last quarter. Shares fell 4.46% today.
  • Colgate-Palmolive announced a beat-and-raise quarter, but it wasn’t enough to impress shareholders, who pushed the consumer staples giant down 4.14%.
  • Mohawk Industries was the worst-performing stock on the market at one point today, falling 13.70% after the flooring manufacturer reported disappointing earnings and lowered its fiscal forecast.
  • Online education company Coursera got an F from shareholders after the company lowered its revenue guidance for the full fiscal year. Shares dropped 9.83%.
  • Newmont had its worst day in over a decade yesterday after the gold miner reported shockingly bad earnings, with higher costs offsetting the rising price of gold. Shares continued to fall 1.69% today.

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Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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PARADOX: Value Based Care

BY DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO MBA MED CMP

Sponsor: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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A young clinician representative advising to consider the cost versus value of medicine. Health care concept for economic cost-effectiveness analysis, driving down medical costs, improved access.

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Value Based Care Classic Definition: Value-based care is a type of payment model that pays doctors and hospitals for treating patients in the right place, at the right time and with just the right amount of care. You can look at it as a financial incentive to motivate healthcare providers to meet specific performance measures related to the quality and efficiency of the process. The same way, it penalizes weaker experiences, such as medical errors. The concept is often counter-intuitive.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Modern Circumstance: As healthcare costs continue to rise, value-based care has been growing in popularity compared to the traditional fee-for-service method.

Think: HMOs, PPOs, capitation payments and Medicare Advantage [Part C].

Paradox Examples:

  • Payment: A physician paid through fee-for-service compensation might like to see a packed medical office waiting room. More patients and services equate to higher pay. But, the same doctor paid through a VBC contract might wish to see an emptier waiting room as s/he will get the exact same daily pay for seeing fewer patients and working much less.
  • Prospectivity: Traditional Fee-for-Service medicine treats sick patients. VBC medicine seeks to keep patients healthy and out of the doctor’s office. 

Nursing Capitation: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/07/07/on-nursing-capitation-reimbursement/

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DAILY UPDATE: MBAs, Apple and Goldman Sachs as Stock Markets Mixed

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
How May We Serve You?
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Applications to MBA programs are up 12% in 2024 after declining for two years, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council, which surveys business school admissions offices.

Apple and Goldman Sachs were ordered to pay $89 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for failing to address thousands of consumer disputes of Apple Card transactions.

Apple is cutting production of Vision Pro due to slow sales. The tech giant is scaling down production of its $3,500 Vision Pro VR headset and might halt assembly of new ones next month,

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

STOCKS UP

  • UPS delivered a strong earnings report, with revenue beating analyst expectations for the first time in two years. Shares popped 5.28%.
  • ServiceNow rose 5.41% to a new all-time high thanks to a beat-and-raise third-quarter earnings report powered by higher AI demand for the enterprise software company.
  • Whirlpool climbed 11.20% after announcing solid earnings and reiterating guidance for the rest of the fiscal year, reassuring worried shareholders.
  • Molina Healthcare soared 17.67% after beating both top and bottom line estimates in the third quarter, thanks to the health insurer reaping the rewards of higher Medicaid payouts.

STOCKS DOWN

  • IBM dropped 6.17% on disappointing third-quarter results, missing on both top and bottom line forecasts thanks to lower consulting and infrastructure revenue.
  • Peloton pedaled higher yesterday after Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn declared that the company was undervalued while he was pedaling on a Peloton. The stunt only worked for a quick sprint, though, with shares back down 2.07% today.
  • TKO Group Holdings got hit with a piledriver after the owner of the WWE and UFC announced it is acquiring several entertainment companies, including Professional Bull Riders. Investors bucked shares off 8.69%.
  • Keurig Dr. Pepper fizzled 4.80% thanks to lower sales last quarter, though the company is trying to bolster revenue by acquiring energy drink maker Ghost.
  • Air taxi startup Lilium crashed 61.50% on the news that its main subsidiaries have run out of cash and are filing for insolvency.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 12.44 points (0.21%) to 5,809.86; the $DJI fell 140.59 points (–0.33%) to 42,374.36; and the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 138.83 points (0.76%) to 18,415.49.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield fell four basis points to 4.20%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) was about flat at 19.18.

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Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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OBEDIENCE: To Authority is “Shocking”

QUESTION EVERYTHING?

By Staff Reporters

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Question: Why do we follow orders, even when they seem wrong?

According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, Obedience to Authority is a powerful force, making us do things we wouldn’t normally do. Think of the infamous Milgram experiment, where people shocked others because a guy in a lab coat told them to do so. It’s our brain’s way of outsourcing decision-making to someone else. While it can keep society orderly, it also explains why people sometimes follow questionable orders.

Cite: https://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html

Milgram’s experiments posed the question: Would people obey orders, even if they believed doing so would harm another person?

Milgram’s findings suggested the answer was yes, they would. The experiments have long been controversial, both because of the startling findings and the ethical problems with the research. More recently, experts have re-examined the studies, suggesting that participants were often coerced into obeying and that at least some participants recognized that the other person was just pretending to be shocked. Such findings call into question the study’s validity and authenticity, but some replications suggest that people are surprisingly prone to obeying authority.

So, question authority [doctor, financial advisor, accountant, clergy, professor and lawyer, etc] – just not your GPS.

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EFFECTS: Halo and Hero Placebo

COGNITIVE BIASES

By Staff Reporters

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The following are two common psychological biases.  Some biases are learned while others are genetically determined (and often socially reinforced).  They are prevalent in most areas in life.

Halo Effect

The halo effect is the cognitive bias where the perception of one positive trait influences the perception of other traits. It’s like assuming a good-looking person is also kind and smart. This mental shortcut simplifies our judgments but often leads to inaccurate assessments.

Marketers and politicians love the halo effect, using it to create a positive overall impression.

To counteract the halo effect, consciously separate individual traits and evaluate them independently. Remember: not everything that shines is gold.

Hero Placebo Effect

The hero placebo effect is the phenomenon where believing in the efficacy of a hero or leader enhances their perceived effectiveness. It’s like thinking a charismatic coach makes the team better just by being there. This belief can boost morale and performance, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

However, it can also lead to overestimating the hero’s actual impact. So, while it’s great to have inspiring leaders, remember: true success comes from collective effort, not just the aura of a single hero.

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ANCHORING: Initial Mental Brain Trickery

COGNITIVE BIASES

By Staff Reporters

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According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, anchoring is the mental trick your brain plays when it latches onto the first piece of information it gets, no matter how irrelevant. You might know this as ‘ first impressions ’ – when someone relies on their own first idea of a person or situation.

Imagine you’re buying a car, and the salesperson starts with a high price. That number sticks in your mind and influences all your subsequent negotiations. Anchoring can skew our decisions and perceptions, making us think the first offer is more important than it is. Or, subsequent offers lower than they really are.

So, the next time you’re haggling or making a big decision, be aware of that initial anchor dragging you down.

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