DAILY UPDATE: UnitedHealth Group and PBMs as Technology Stocks Soar

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Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

The Cboe Volatility Index® (VIX) fell sharply to 14.91.

The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 59.41 points (1.1%) to 5,564.41; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 127.91 points (0.3%) to 40,415.44; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP)jumped 280.63 points (1.6%) to 18,007.57. 

The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) added two basis points to 4.26%.

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What’s up

What’s down

  • Crowdstrike withered another 13.46% as the fallout from what’s being hailed as the largest IT outage in history continues to punish the stock.
  • Trump Media & Technology Group dipped 0.83% during the trading session after President Biden’s announcement that he’s dropping out of the presidential race.
  • Verizon sank 6.04% after whiffing on its earnings report, missing on revenue thanks to customers holding on to their old phones for longer.
  • Ryanair crumbled 15.41% following an earnings report that revealed the company’s earnings after taxes sank an eye-watering 46% last quarter.
  • Starbucks dropped 3.43% on a report by the Wall Street Journal late last week that activist investor Elliott Investment Management has taken a stake in the coffee chain.

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The US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability is holding a hearing tomorrow, bringing in PBMs from around the US to testify on “their role in rising healthcare costs.” The hearing comes soon after an FTC report found PBMs to have an “outsized influence” on drug pricing.

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The February cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary may have exposed the health data of one in three Americans, but the nation’s largest health insurance company by market cap and revenue returned to profitability in the second quarter, beating Wall Street expectations and reporting net income of $4.2 billion.

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DAILY UPDATE: Starbucks, Crowdstrike, US Banks and Charles Schwab

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Shares of Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCHW) fell over 15% last week, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. One of the largest brokerages posted slow growth and poor earnings as the company deals with low-yielding assets on its balance sheet. As of 1:31 p.m. ET on Friday, July 19th, Charles Schwab stock was down 17.5% this week.

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Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has reportedly built up a substantial stake in Starbucks and has been pushing the coffee chain to improve its stock price.

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Markets: The S&P 500 logged its worst week since April as investors pulled back from Big Tech stocks. CrowdStrike fell because causing a global IT outage is not good (more on that in a sec).

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In a recent video, finance YouTuber Lena Petrova highlighted the troubling financial state of U.S. banks as they report significant losses and increase their reserves to cover a surge in loan delinquencies. With the second quarter results rolling in, it’s evident that the banking sector is under considerable strain.

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DAILY UPDATE: Public Companies and the Stock Market Software Snafu Wraps Up Worst Week Since April

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42,500. That’s how many people died in car accidents in 2022, which experts believe was exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic, as reckless driving worsened and traffic enforcement decreased. (KFF)

“These attacks and breaches of data can literally mean the difference between life and death for patients, significantly impact hospital operations, and—with the average hack costing millions to address—increase healthcare prices across the board.”—Sen. Angus King about a bill he co-sponsored to improve cybersecurity in healthcare (Healthcare Dive)

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) dropped 39.59 points (–0.7%) to 5,505.00 and ended down 1.97% for the week, its worst weekly performance in three months; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) slipped 377.49 points (–0.9%) to 40,287.53 on Friday and finished up less than 1% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP)fell 144.28 points (–0.81%) on Friday to 17,726.94 and lost 3.65% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose four basis points to nearly 4.24% and finished up for the week, partly on worries about possible U.S. tariffs and their potential impact on inflation.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 16.47 after climbing above 17 intraday for the first time since late April.
  • Markets sagged under the weight of a massive IT outage, accentuating a selloff that was already in motion. All three indexes spent the day in the red, with the S&P 500 capping off its worst week since April and the NASDAQ snapping its six-week win streak.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index, a gauge of investor fear, rose to its highest level since April. The VIX is up over 25% in the last five days alone, as the small-cap rotation rally sputtered to a halt.
  • Oil took a big blow today as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is nearly complete.
  • Gold sold off as well as investors not only took profits after the commodity hit a new all-time high this week, but also began to rotate into riskier assets in light of a likely Fed rate cut.

What’s up

What’s down

  • SunPower transformed into a stock submarine, sinking 55.01% after the company made it clear it’s about to go out of business.
  • American Express fell faster than a greased pig on skates, sliding 2.68% after beating bottom line expectations but missing on revenue.
  • Plug Power turned into a lead balloon, descending 13.87% after management declared a $200 million stock offering.
  • Halliburton crumbled like a cookie, dropping 5.63% following a mixed earnings report that saw the fracking giant fall short of revenue expectations.
  • Travelers journeyed to the center of the Earth, burrowing 7.73% after beating earnings expectations, missing on revenue, and revealing that catastrophe losses came in higher than hoped.
  • Comerica sank like a stone, plummeting 10.50% due to lower net interest income last quarter and forecasts of lower interest income in the quarters ahead.

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It’s common for patients to delay or skip medical care due to high costs in the US—but data shows that fewer adults have done so in recent years.

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DAILY UPDATE: UnitedHealth, Aetna, Long Covid and Physician Burnout as NASDAQ Collapses

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The Dow surged another 240 points as the cyclical rotation continues, sending the index to its 22nd record closing high of the year. The S&P 500 had its worst day since late April, while the NASDAQ slumped to its worst finish since December 2022. The last time the Dow rose on the same day the S&P 500 fell by more than 1% was all the way back in 1999. Gold hit a record high yesterday on hopes of a rate cut, not a hike. Oil bubbled up thanks to an Energy Information Administration report highlighting higher demand and lower crude inventories. Bond yields stayed steady throughout the trading session before sinking slightly 20-year Treasury bond auction.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) fell 78.93 points (–1.39%) to 5,588.27; the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 243.6 points (0.59%) to 41,198.08; the NASDAQ Composite plunged 512.41 points (–2.77%) to 17,996.92.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped just below 4.15%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index jumped sharply to 14.48.

What’s up

  • VF Corp. rose 13.64% on the news that it is selling its Supreme brand to EssilorLuxottica for $1.5 billion.
  • Roche soared 7.55% after the Swiss pharmaceutical company announced it has made strides in developing a weight-loss and diabetes treatment that uses a pill rather than an injection. Competitors sank on the news, with Eli Lilly declining 3.78% and Novo Nordisk falling 3.87%.
  • GitLab popped 9.34% on a report that the software developer is exploring a sale, potentially to cloud company Datadog, whose shares fell 7.35%.
  • Johnson & Johnson rose a tepid 3.67% thanks to a mixed earnings announcement that included beating expectations this quarter but warning of lower profits ahead.

What’s down

  • Spirit Airlines descended 10.76% to a new all-time low after warning that both earnings and revenue will come in lower than expected this coming quarter.
  • Five Below plummeted 25.05% after its CEO, who has helmed the company for over a decade, announced his departure smack in the middle of a very difficult year.
  • J.B. Hunt tanked 6.88% thanks to a poor second-quarter earnings report in which earnings and revenue came in well below analyst expectations.
  • Charles Schwab fell yet another 5.34% as the hits keep coming. Today, the culprit was a price target downgrade from Bank of America analysts.
  • Elevance Health slipped 5.96% despite beating analyst expectations this quarter, but warning that Medicaid membership declined.

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UnitedHealth Group has bounced back in the second quarter, reaffirming its guidance for the year as it posts a profit of $4.2 billion


An audit of Aetna Health of Texas found significant errors in how the health plan calculated the qualifying payment amount for air ambulance services, raising more questions over broader noncompliance in the industry for the No Surprises Act.


And … clinical decision software company Regard pocketed $61 million in series B funding to scale its reach in healthcare as investors have a growing appetite for AI-powered startups.

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A study published in JAMA this month found that nearly 7% of the US population (or roughly 18 million people) have had long Covid. Symptoms of the condition vary widely, but often include fatigue, brain fog, and post-exertional malaise (meaning symptoms worsen after minimal exertion), according to the CDC. Booster shots may help protect against long Covid, the JAMA study suggested.

And, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas with ‘mild symptoms’.

Physician burnout is on the decline after spiking to unprecedented levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey from professional group the American Medical Association (AMA).

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DAILY UPDATE: Apple, Macy’s, Goldman, Banks, Companies and the Roaring DJIA

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  • The Dow jumped 700 points at one point today, its biggest single-day surge this year. The S&P 500 spent the entire trading session in positive territory, ending the afternoon at another record close, while the NASDAQ was flat most of the day as tech stocks sat out the rally.
  • Bitcoin continued to surge, rising as high as $65,191 as predictions of a second Trump presidency helped erase the cryptocurrency’s recent losses.
  • Gold hit a new record as hopes of a rate hike continue to rise, while oil sank on the news of slower economic growth in China translating to lower demand for crude.
  • The Russell 2000 enjoyed its 5th straight gain of 1% or more for the first time since 1979 as small caps make their comeback (more on that below).

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Apple released public beta versions of the newest software for iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch. Macy’s ended talks of a buyout with investment firms Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital Management after months of wrangling. Goldman Sachs was the latest big bank to benefit from rebounding investment banking fees as deals start making a comeback.

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Despite such challenges as high interest rates, a sluggish M&A market, and increased regulatory scrutiny, bank executives are feeling optimistic about the road ahead. That’s according to KPMG’s 2024 US Banking Industry Outlook Survey, published last month, which polled 200 senior executives at US banks of varying sizes in March 2024.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 35.98 points (0.64%) to 5,667.20; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 742.76 points (1.85%) to 40,954.48; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 36.77 points (0.2%) to 18,509.34.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell slightly to just under 4.17%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) ticked up to 13.19, still near three-week highs.

What’s up

  • Match Group climbed 7.46% after activist investor Starboard Value revealed it has taken a 6.6% stake in the matchmaking company.
  • Bank of America rose 5.35% on strong earnings, and management’s expectation that the bank’s net interest income will rise this year.
  • UnitedHealth Group popped 6.49% after beating analyst earnings estimates, missing revenue expectations, and most importantly, avoided higher costs after a recent cyberattack.
  • Shopify surged 8.57% thanks to an analyst upgrade from “neutral” to “buy” on the company’s turnaround efforts. Shares of Etsy rose 6.33% in sympathy.
  • GRAIL boomed 24.76% on the news that it is kicking off the clinical trials of its new cancer detection test.
  • Home builders’ hot streak continues: Hopes of a rate cut are fueling a rally for home builder stocks, with D.R. Horton up 6.64%, Lennar rising 6.55%, KB Home gaining 7.17%, and Builders FirstSource popping 8.11%.

What’s down

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DAILY UPDATE: PBMs Scrutinized as Companies Report and Stock Markets Rotate

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Though the accountant shortage is still a concern, a shortage of AI and tech skills might be a more pressing issue right now. That’s according to a pulse survey by consulting firm RGP and YouGov, which polled 213 US financial professionals at the director level and above this June.

Read: What do you do when you hit your insurance deductible? Some people throw parties. (the New York Times)

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 15.87 points (0.28%) to 5,631.22; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 210.82 points (0.53%) to 40,211.72, a new record-high close; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 74.12 points (0.4%) to 18,472.57. 
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) gained four basis points to just below 4.23%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) increased to 13.14, its highest close since June 24.

What’s up

  • Bitcoin-related stocks rose alongside the crypto rally today, with Coinbase up 11.39% and Microstrategy climbing 15.36%.
  • Gun manufacturers always rise after a major shooting incident, and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump certainly meets that criteria. Sturm, Ruger & Company jumped 5.44%, and Smith & Wesson rose 11.38%.
  • Stelco Holdings rocketed 73.98% higher on the news that the Canadian steelmaker will be acquired by Cleveland Cliffs for $2.8 billion.
  • AutoNation popped 2.01% on the news that it’s cutting $1.50 off of its EPS for the latest quarter due to the CDK cyberattack. Apparently getting ahead of the bad news is actually good news?

What’s down

  • Macy’s sank 11.76% after the department store’s board voted to end acquisition negotiations with activist investors Arkhouse and Brigade.
  • Burberry fell 16.08% after a poor quarterly report, a profit warning, and the ousting of its CEO.
  • AES plummeted 10.01% thanks to a storm cutting power to thousands of the utility company’s customers throughout Ohio.
  • SolarEdge Technologies dropped 15.36% after the company announced it will lay off 400 employees to improve profitability. Shares of solar competitors slumped in sympathy: First Solar fell 8.50%, Sunrun sank 8.95%, and Sunnova Energy fell 9.96%.

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) frequently sets its sights on healthcare, which has previously included efforts to crack down on data privacy and ban noncompetes in contracts. Lately, the agency has turned its attention to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—the groups that negotiate drug prices between insurers and pharmaceutical manufacturers—to shed light on how they impact the healthcare industry.

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Stat: 23.5%. That’s how much Covid-related emergency room visits increased in a week at the beginning of this month. (CDC)

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DAILY UPDATE: Corporate Earnings, Oxendine Guilty as Stock Markets Rotate

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Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 30.81 points (0.5%) to 5,615.35, up 0.9% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) rose 247.15 points (0.6%) to 40,000.90, up 1.6% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 115.04 points (0.6%) to 18,398.44, up 0.3% for the week. Both the SPX and $DJI set intraday record highs today.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield closed basically unchanged just below 4.19%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell slightly to 12.49.

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What’s up

  • Trump Media & Technology Group climbed 3.40% as President Biden’s recent stumbles seem to be breathing new life into the stock.
  • Tesla rose 2.99%, nearly recovering from yesterday’s drop over robotaxi delays, despite a UBS analyst downgrading the company to “sell.”
  • Deckers Outdoor recovered 1.14% when the board announced a 6-for-1 stock split just a few days after M Science analysts warned investors away from the company.
  • Array Technologies popped 8.69% thanks to an upgrade from Citi analysts from “neutral” to “buy” citing the company’s strong long-term prospects. Competitor Enphase Energy jumped 6.85% in sympathy.
  • Carvana soared 4.80% after BTIG analysts initiated coverage of the company with a “buy” rating and a price target 7% higher than where shares trade today.
  • Home builder stocks continued their climb today on higher hopes of rate cuts. D.R. Horton rose 2.68%, Builders FirstSource jumped 3.99%, and even Home Depot got in on the action and rose 1.70%.

What’s down

  • AT&T slid 0.21% after Ma Bell announced that hackers had stolen information about virtually every single one of the cell carrier’s customers. Shares of cybersecurity company Snowflake sank 1.74% on the news as well.
  • Delta Air Lines fell another 3.06% as turbulence throughout the airline industry continued to weigh the stock down.
  • Arbor Realty Trust plummeted 17.03% after the Justice Department announced a probe of the company due to improper lending practices.
  • Vita Coco dropped 9.07% thanks to a downgrade to “neutral” from Piper Sandler analysts. Are you telling me that a company that just sells coconut water isn’t actually worth $1.58 billion? Now that’s just vita loco!

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Here’s a list of some corporate earnings announcements next week:

  • Monday: Goldman Sachs, BlackRock.
  • Tuesday: Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, PNC Financial Services, and Charles Schwab. We’ll also hear from UnitedHealth Group, Progressive, and J.B. Hunt.
  • Wednesday: ASML, Citizens Bank, Ally Financial, Synchrony Financial, and U.S. Bancorp will wrap up the big financial names. Plus Johnson & Johnson, Kinder Morgan, United Airlines, and Alcoa.
  • Thursday: The busiest day of the week includesNetflix, Domino’s Pizza, Abbott Laboratories, Nokia, D.R. Horton, Intuitive Surgical, and much more.
  • Friday: The week wraps up with American Express, Schlumberger, and Halliburton.

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A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine to serve three and a half years in prison after Oxendine pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, at a hearing in Atlanta, also ordered Oxendine to pay a $25,000 fine and to share in $760,000 in restitution with Dr. Jeffrey Gallups.

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DAILY UPDATE: Pfizer, MSFT and the NASDAQ Collapse

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As drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound that help people slim down have enlarged its competitors’ bottom lines, Pfizer has struggled to keep up. But now it’s moving forward with the development of a once-daily version.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index fell 49.37 points (0.8%) to 5,584.54; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) rose 32.39 points (0.1%) to 39,753.75; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) collapsed and lost 364.04 points (1.95%) to 18,283.41 but remains up 22% year to date. The SPX is still up 17% this year.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield dropped eight basis points to 4.19%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) climbed to 12.99.

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  • More specifically, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ broke their winning streaks today, closing in the red for the first time in over a week—though both did hit intraday highs at one point. The Dow finished the afternoon in the green, just barely.
  • Gold breached $2,400, and is closing in on a record high of $2,449.89 set back in May.
  • Oil rose on today’s CPI news, with the idea being that if inflation slows and the Fed cuts rates then economic activity will pick up, as will demand for crude.
  • Bond yields sank on CPI data while prices rose.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft abandoned its post as an observer on the board after realizing it was bothering antitrust officials who were looking into the relationship between the two companies. Apple, which was expected to take a similar seat on the OpenAI board, will reportedly no longer do s

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DAILY UPDATE: Tesla, PBMs, Medicare Part C and the Hot Stock Markets

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A day before the June CPI report, major indexes extended their rally amid growing demand for semiconductors and rate cut hopes.

  • The S&P 500 rose above 5,600 for the first time ever, only a few short days after breaking above 5,500, with the index hitting a new record for the last seven straight trading sessions. The NASDAQ also enjoyed a solid day as well thanks to strong performances by tech stocks, while even the Dow got in on the action and ended the session in the green.
  • Bond yields stayed almost right where they’ve been all week as investors hold their breath ahead of tomorrow’s key CPI reading.
  • Gold rose as investors hope for a strong CPI report to point the Fed toward more rate cuts, while oil rose as well thanks to a stronger-than-expected outlook on global demand from OPEC.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in June it would recalculate 2024 Medicare Advantage (MA) star ratings for all plans after two court rulings called into question the agency’s method for determining this year’s ratings. The decision is estimated to cost the federal agency roughly $1 billion in additional bonus payments for insurers, according to healthcare analytics firm Cotiviti. The move comes after several large insurers laid off employees in late 2023 after their star ratings decreased.

HIPAA: Some groups are disputing a proposed federal rule that would require hospitals to report cybersecurity incidents, saying they want it to also include insurers and third-party vendors. (Healthcare Dive)

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What’s up

  • Taiwan Semiconductor rose 3.54% after it reported that its June revenue fell 10% month over month, but its sales rose roughly 33% year over year.
  • Advanced Micro Devices popped 3.87% on the news it is acquiring Silo AI, the largest private artificial intelligence lab in Europe, for $665 million.
  • Carvana drove 4.21% higher after Needham analysts upgraded the stock from “hold” to “buy” due in part to new features at checkout highlighting EVs. Competitor CarMax jumped 6.42% in sympathy.
  • Aehr Test Systems rocketed 24.01% after the semiconductor testing equipment maker raised earnings guidance thanks to strong AI demand.
  • Smart Global Holdings rose 26.27% thanks to earnings that beat Wall Street expectations in the third quarter and a strong outlook for the rest of the year.

What’s down

  • LegalZoom plummeted 25.35% to a new all-time low after the company cut its outlook and its CEO stepped down.
  • HubSpot sank 12.24% on a report that Alphabet is no longer interested in acquiring the company.
  • Intuit dropped 2.57% on the news that the tax prep company is cutting 10% of its workforce.
  • Deckers Outdoor fell 4.86% after M Science analysts published a note cautioning that sales for key brands UGG and HOKA fell in June.
  • Ziff Davis fell 10.32% after the digital media company tried to get ahead of the bad news and pre-announced that second-quarter earnings will fall below analyst expectations.
  • Fast-casual restaurant stocks continued to sink today as investors grow more concerned about lower consumer spending and higher valuations. CAVA Group fell 5.47%, Sweetgreen dropped 1.72%, and Dutch Bros fell 4.34%.

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Tesla’s US electric car market share fell below 50% in Q2 for the first time, according to estimates by the research firm Cox Automotive.

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In a scathing report, the Federal Trade Commission accused [PBMs] pharmacy benefit managers—the companies that act as go-betweens for drug makers and consumers—of jacking up drug prices

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DAILY UPDATE: Mike Bloomberg, Arianna Huffington and Andreessen Horowitz as Stock Markets Tread Lightly

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Most medical students at Johns Hopkins University won’t have to pay tuition anymore thanks to a $1 billion gift from Michael Bloomberg.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index®(SPX) rose 4.13 points (0.1%) to 5,576.98; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 52.82 points (0.1%) to 39,291.97; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) climbed 25.55 points (0.1%) to 18,429.9.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield increased two basis points to 4.29%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) inched up to 12.49, still near recent lows.

What’s up

  • Tesla rose 3.71%, putting the company squarely in the green year to date as investors continue to celebrate the automaker’s strong delivery numbers.
  • Corning rose yet another 3.76%, extending the glassmaker’s gains as it quickly becomes the new hot AI stock du jour.
  • Kymera Therapeutics shot 23.40% higher after its partner Sanofi gave the go-ahead for further studies of its experimental skin disease treatment.
  • Jumia Technologies soared 29.79% after Benchmark analysts initiated coverage of the African e-commerce company with a “buy” rating.
  • Sony rose 4.46% on the news that it has nothing to do with the merger of Paramount and Skydance as shareholders celebrate dodging a Paramount-shaped bullet.

What’s down

  • Albemarle dropped 8.76% after Baird analysts warned that lower lithium demand will translate to lower profits for the miner in its upcoming second quarter.
  • BP sank 4.80% after management warned of lower-than-expected profits and a writedown of its German refining facility to the tune of up to $2 billion.
  • Helios Technologies fell 10.94% on the news that the CEO of the industrial manufacturer had been placed on paid leave for potentially violating the company’s code of ethics.
  • Helen of Troy plummeted 27.73% after the Hydro Flask maker announced terrible earnings and lowered its fiscal year outlook.
  • UiPath fell 6.90% on the announcement that the software company will cut 10% of its workforce.

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OpenAI’s venture fund and Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global are jointly funding a new startup that aims to build an AI health coach to promote healthier lifestyles.


Function Health, a health tech company focused on preventive medicine, recently closed a series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health along with a slew of celebrity investors.


And … made possible by the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration is putting $27.5 million toward women’s behavioral health.

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DAILY UPDATE: Health Insurers & Hospital Mergers with Light Stock Market Trading

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) climbed slightly to 12.37.

The S&P 500 index®(SPX) rose 5.66points (0.1%) to 5,572.85; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) dropped 31.08 points (0.1%) to 39,344.79; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) gained 50.98 points (0.3%) to 18,403.74.

The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was roughly flat at 4.27%.

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What’s up

  • Intel popped 6.15% after an analyst at Melius Research declared the company could be one of the big AI winners in the second half of this year.
  • Morphic Holding skyrocketed 75.06% on the news that Eli Lilly will acquire the drugmaker for $3.2 billion in cash.
  • SolarEdge climbed 9.26% thanks to an upgrade from “underperform” to “neutral” by Bank of America analysts, who see big upside and few downside risks ahead.
  • Corning rose 11.98% after management raised earnings guidance for the coming quarter thanks to higher demand due to the AI boom.
  • Lucid rose 7.85% on the news that its deliveries rose 70% in the second quarter.

What’s down

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Stat: 27. That’s a tally of some of the hospital mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, and partnerships that have been canceled since January 2022. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Read: Health insurers received $50 billion from Medicare for diseases that doctors did not treat over three years, according to a recent analysis. (Wall Street Journal)

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DAILY UPDATE: Home Health and Nurse Vacancies as Stock Markets Reach New Highs

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As home hospital programs continue to grow—employment in the home health industry is projected to increase by nearly 30% by 2029—so does the concern that home healthcare professionals are increasingly vulnerable to assault and harassment.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index® (SPX)rose 30.17 points (0.54%) to 5,567.19; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) rose 67.87 points (0.17%) to 39,375.87; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) climbed 164.46 points (0.9%) to 18,352.76.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped nearly seven basis points to just below 4.28%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) increased slightly to 12.45.

What’s up

  • Meta Platforms rose 5.88% a day after CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a video of himself wearing a tux, holding an American flag and a beer, and wakeboarding. Shareholders apparently approve of such an absolute stud running the company.
  • Koss Corp. rose another 25.68% as the latest meme stock continues to rally for no reason at all.
  • Macy’s popped 9.48% after bidders looking to acquire the beleaguered retailer raised their offer from $6.6 billion to $6.9 billion.
  • Smith & Nephew rose 6.67% on the news that activist investor Cevian Capital has taken a 5% stake in the medical device maker.
  • Instructure Holdings rose 5.25% on the news that a bidding war is building for the education software company.

What’s down

  • Nvidia fell 1.91% after it received a rare analyst downgrade due to the company’s valuation.
  • Southwest sank 5.67% on the first full trading day after the company adopted a “poison pill” to fend off activist investor Elliott Management.
  • Budget airline companies took a blow after a Raymond James analyst downgraded the industry due to a “clear as mud” outlook for the third quarter. Frontier Group fell 6.79%, while Spirit Airlines dropped 8.70%.
  • Crypto-related stocks tumbled after bitcoin fell below $54,000 at one point today, though they recovered alongside the cryptocurrency later in the trading session. Coinbase Global fell 0.56%, Robinhood Markets dropped 0.98%, and MicroStrategy fell 1.56%.

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Stat: 9.9%. That’s the current vacancy rate for nurses in the US, down from 15.7% in 2023. (2024 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report)

PBMs: How pharmacy benefit managers are “driving up drug costs for millions of people, employers, and the government.” (the New York Times)

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DAILY UPDATE: Non-Competes Pause as Stock Markets Rise

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Wednesday’s stock market trading was brief but sweet—the S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed at records in a half-day session. The stock market was closed yesterday for the Fourth of July, but will reopen today with all eyes on the June jobs report to be released this morning. It’s expected to show more cooling in the labor market, which would reinforce the FOMC is likely plan to cut interest rates this fall.

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A federal court temporarily paused a ban on noncompetes from taking effect in September, ruling that the FTC overstepped its authority in April when it ordered a halt to the clauses affecting 30 million Americans. The ban on noncompetes was intended to allow workers like doctors and nurses to move jobs more easily and boost wages in the process, but businesses opposed it on the grounds that competitors could poach their employees and they’d lose valuable trade secrets.

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DAILY UPDATE: Walmart, HHS and Geriatrics as Companies and Stock Market Still Rise

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HAPPY JULY FOURTH

The S&P 500 broke above 5,500 yesterday and stayed there for the first time in market history, notching yet another all-time high for the index—its 32nd this year alone. With so much bullishness it’s understandable that investors may be wondering if we’re at the top yet, but chartists suggests gains tend to beget gains. The bulls have too much momentum to stop now—and if/when the FOMC cuts rates later this year, it seems likely that we’ll see more all-time highs in 2024? Any thoughts.

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The Biden administration has awarded $206.3 million of funding to clinician training programs across 42 universities and provider organizations to bolster the nation’s geriatrics care workforce. Programs will be able to integrate geriatrics training into primary care and will work to educate older adults’ families on their care needs. Health and Human Services, in its announcement, noted that primary care providers are a crucial source of care for much of the aging population.


As Walmart shutters its primary care clinics, the retail giant inked a deal to sell its MeMD telehealth business to health tech startup Fabric. Fabric provides a telemedicine platform for a range of customers, including provider groups, with the goal of improving the clinician and patient experience, as well as operational efficiency. The acquisition will expand its provider network, add virtual behavioral health to the company’s services and build on Fabric’s employer and payer solutions.


And…The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron deference, stripping power from federal agencies to interpret and enforce regulations. Courts no longer have to defer to reasonable agency interpretations. One healthcare attorney told Fierce Healthcare he predicts the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be under a microscope from the courts going forward, and there will be more scrutiny towards provider reimbursement cuts, drug pricing regulation and the Inflation Reduction Act.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index®(SPX)rose 28.01 points (0.51%) to 5,537.02; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 23.85 points (-0.1%) to 39,308.00; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) gained 159.54 points (0.9%) to 18,188.30.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped seven basis points to 4.36%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) held steady at 12.09.

What’s up

What’s down

  • First Foundation plummeted 23.81% after the bank announced it will raise $225 million to shore up a balance sheet burdened by commercial real estate loans.
  • Constellation Brands fell 3.76% after the alcoholic beverage maker reported stronger than expected earnings but missed Wall Street’s expectations on revenue.
  • Simulations Plus slid 14.87% after it reported strong third-quarter earnings but announced it’s cutting its dividend.
  • CureVac popped then dropped 6.59% after GSK bought the rights to the smaller pharma company’s Covid-19 and flu vaccines for $1.6 billion.

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DAILY UPDATE: Pitch-Book Health Companies, SCOTUS and the Peaking Stock Markets

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SCOTUS: Two technology company cases involving Texas and Florida laws challenging social-media companies’ content moderation were sent to lower courts. SCOTUS thus effectively granted the companies a victory. The Supreme Court isn’t willing to blow up the internet just yet.

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PitchBook released its analysis of digital health venture capital deals done in the first quarter. The first quarter saw downturns in telehealth and digital therapeutics, but opportunities exist in mental health chatbots and care search platforms.


Amedisys, a large home health provider, plans to divest a number of care centers to an affiliate of VitalCaring Group in advance of its planned merger with UnitedHealth Group later this year.


And … ACOs may soon be able to take a breath of fresh air, as CMS shared that it has no intention of punishing them for a $2 billion urinary catheter fraud scandal that rocked the industry.  

What’s up

  • Tesla rose another 10.06% today, continuing its push higher thanks to quarterly car deliveries that beat Wall Street’s expectations. Rivian Automotive rose 6.82% today after beating projections for their own deliveries as well.
  • Paramount Global rose 5.97% on a report from the New York Times that Barry Diller’s IAC may be exploring an acquisition of the embattled entertainment company. IAC fell just 0.26%.
  • Archer Aviation popped 8.92% after the air taxi manufacturer received a $55 million investment from Stellantis.
  • Oliveda International is up 19.81% today after the olive oil company announced massive quarterly revenue growth at a key subsidiary.

What’s down

  • Chewy fell yet another 2.24% as fallout from Roaring Kitty’s stake in the company continues to rattle investors.
  • Pure Storage plunged 4.15% after UBS analysts downgraded the stock to “sell,” citing its high valuation and overhyped AI potential.
  • Home builders took a beating after Citi analysts downgraded Lennar and D.R. Horton from “neutral” to “sell,” noting the housing market will remain soft in the second half of the year. Lennar dropped 1.61%, and D.R. Horton fell 1.35%.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 33.92 points (0.62%) to 5,509.01; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 162.33 points (0.41%) to 39,331.85; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) rallied 149.46 points (0.84%) to 18,028.76.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dipped four basis points to 4.43%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) dropped to 12.03 after earlier trading at its lowest intraday level since late May.

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SCOTUS: Health policy leaders say patients, providers, and health systems should brace for more uncertainty and less stability in the healthcare system. Even routine government functions such as deciding the rate to pay doctors for treating Medicare beneficiaries could become embroiled in long legal battles that disrupt patient care or strain providers to adapt.

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DAILY UPDATE: Nurses & AI, Private Equity & CPAs, Public Companies and the Hot July Stock Markets

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Private equity gets a big accounting firm yet. The March story about private equity firm New Market Capital buying a $2.8 billion stake in accounting firm Grant Thorton was a big story. Private equity is gobbling up accounting firms, signaling a potential sea change in how accounting firms will operate in the future, with “more than half” of the top 20 accounting firms in talks with private equity.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 14.61 points (0.27%) to 5,475.09; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 50.66 points (0.13%) to 39,169.52; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 146.70 points (0.83%) to 17,879.30.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose 12 basis points to 4.47%, the highest level since May 30 and back above its 50-day moving average, a technically important move.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) slipped to 12.19.

Crude oil is up sharply over the last month amid rising Middle East tensions.

What’s up

What’s down

  • Chewy stock popped then dropped 6.63% after Roaring Kitty revealed a 6.6% stake in the pet products company.
  • GameStop shares fell 5.35% after CEO Ryan Cohen posted on Twitter/X for the first time in months to advertise a job opening.
  • Uber fell 2.17% and Lyft fell 0.92% on the news that Massachusetts now requires both companies to pay rideshare drivers $32.50 an hour, plus benefits.
  • Cruise stocks sank on the news that Hurricane Beryl is stronger than expected and will disrupt service throughout the Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise Line fell 5.86%, Carnival fell 5.40%, and Royal Caribbean fell 1.86%.

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The largest nursing union in the US, National Nurses United (NNU), is sounding the alarm about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. In April, the union’s affiliate California Nurses Association (CNA) protested an AI conference helmed by managed care consortium Kaiser Permanente. Like workers in other sectors who are worried about AI encroachment, the nurses fear that the tech is contributing to the devaluation of their skills amid what they say is already a “chronicunderstaffing crisis, nurses reported in an NNU survey of 2,300 registered nurses and members in early 2024.

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DAILY UPDATE: Walgreens, Healthcare Fraud and Opioids as Stock Markets Hurt

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, CEO Tim Wentworth said the pharmacy chain Walgreens will shutter a significant share of its 8,600 locations in the US. The closures are part of a broader attempt to boost the ailing company, which also includes reducing its stake in the primary care business VillageMD. Wentworth said the company can reassign most employees instead of conducting layoffs. Shares cratered yesterday after Walgreens whiffed on Wall Street’s earnings projections due to weak consumer spending.

And, read how some counties reduced opioid overdose deaths during the pandemic. (Politico)

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What’s up

  • Oliveda International, which makes beauty products from olive oil, rose 38.33% for no apparent reason. Maybe people just really like the feel of extra virgin olive oil on their skin?
  • Infinera popped 16.38% after Nokia announced it would acquire the telecommunications hardware manufacturer for $2.3 billion.
  • Synchrony Financial rose 6.17% after a Baird analyst initiated coverage of the financial services company with an outperform rating.
  • Regional banking stocks rose on the hopes that a good PCE reading means a better chance of the Fed cutting rates soon. Regions Financial rose 3.83%, while Citizens Financial Group rose 3.16%.

What’s down

A late round of selling in the Treasury market sent yields to fresh highs as the day ended so here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) dipped 22.39 points (0.41%) to 5,460.48; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 45.20 points (0.12%) to 39,118.86; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) lost 126.08 points (0.71%) to 17,732.6.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield climbed nine basis points to 4.38%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) moved up slightly to 12.43.

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Nearly 200 people have been charged for their roles in various health care fraud schemes across the U.S. that federal authorities say amounted to over $2.7 billion in intended losses, the Justice Department announced. Attorney General Merrick Garland said charges against 193 people, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals in 32 different federal districts. The defendants were charged over a two-week sweep involving numerous law enforcement agencies nationwide, resulting in the seizure of more than “$231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets,” according to Garland.

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DAILY UPDATE: Genome Testing, the Stock Markets and Microsoft, Apple & Meta

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Apple and Meta are considering an AI partnership. The two tech giants are discussing integrating Meta’s generative AI model into Apple’s new AI platform, Apple Intelligence, the WSJ reports. Instead of building an in-house AI model, Apple opted for the partnership route and previously announced a deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to iPhones. Apple has also reportedly held talks with AI startups Anthropic and Perplexity to fuse their AI models with Apple Intelligence and get that sweet, sweet distribution Apple provides.

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Genome testing can spot rare disease risks at birth. Newborn babies typically get blood tested for dozens of diseases, but some parents living in North Carolina and New York have recently been able to get their bundles of joy screened for hundreds of potentially life-threatening medical conditions that regular tests can’t catch thanks to a growing field called genomic medicine. Early results from two ongoing studies are very promising, the Washington Post reported, but scaling the new type of testing could be tricky: A full genome read (which covers all of your DNA) costs around $1,000 per patient. Still, research into the cost-benefit of genome sequencing has found that it can ultimately save families money on hospital care.

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Markets: Sweating the upcoming election? Investors aren’t. The S&P 500 is on track for its best first-half performance in an election year going back to 1976, per Dow Jones Market Data. And as trading begins Monday morning, Microsoft is back on the Iron Throne as the US’ most valuable company following Nvidia’s stumbles at the end of last week.

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DAILY UPDATE: Wells Fargo, Public Companies as Stock Markets Extend Rally

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Wells Fargo is losing $10 million per month on its partnership with Bilt, whose credit card offers users reward points for paying rent, and is looking to renegotiate, the WSJ reports. Apple has stopped offering its buy now, pay later program, Apple Pay Later, after partnering with outside companies, including Affirm.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index gained 13.80 points (0.3%) to 5,487.03; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) added 56.76 points (0.2%) to 38,834.86; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) rose 5.21 points (0.03%) to 17,862.23, a record close for the seventh day in a row.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dipped more than 6 basis points to 4.215%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.45 to 12.30.

What’s up

What’s down

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And … precision medicine company Tempus AI is going public, raising $410.7 million through its initial public offering.

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DAILY UPDATE: D-Day, Digital Health, Stock Companies as Markets Zoom Up!

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Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day: More than 60 World War II veterans flew to Paris over the weekend to take part in what organizers believe could be the final major WWII commemoration involving living veterans. American veterans will be joined by President Joe Biden and other heads of state in Normandy.

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The digital health market has had a tough year, with no IPOs in all of 2023. Comparatively, the industry saw roughly 20 public exits in 2021. The recent slowdown in the broader IPO market is linked to several trends, including high interest rates and some high-profile bankruptcies, according to Adriana Krasniansky, head of research at digital health strategy group and venture fund Rock Health’s advisory arm.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 62.69 points (1.2%) to 5,354.03; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 96.04 points (0.3%) to 38,807.33; the NASDAQ Composite rallied 330.86 points (2.0%) to 17,187.90.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell more than 5 basis points to 4.283%, its lowest level since April 1.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) declined 0.53 to 12.63.

What’s up

  • Nvidia only rose 5.16% today, but it was enough to surpass Apple’s market cap, making the high-flying semiconductor stock the second most valuable public company in the US.
  • Crowdstrike rose 11.98% today after reporting better than expected fiscal first quarter earnings yesterday afternoon.
  • Guidewire Software rose 17.63% today after its beat & raise quarterly report late yesterday.
  • Stitch Fix rose 29.40% after a red-hot earnings report, completely turning around the stock’s slow slide downward this year.
  • SweetGreen popped 12.76% this afternoon after revealing that its new automated kitchens can actually save on costs and cut time for orders in the long run.

What’s down

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In case you needed more proof that we’re living in the strangest timeline: Morgan Stanley, which owns E*Trade, is contemplating kicking stock influencer Roaring Kitty off the platform. It’s concerned he manipulated GameStop stocks by…posting a meme on X. (the Wall Street Journal)

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DAILY UPDATE: Mixed Stock Markets with DJIA Up

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index added 42.03 points (0.8%) to 5,277.51, down 0.5% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 574.84 points (1.5%) to 38,686.32, down 1.0% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) declined 2.06 points (0.01%) to 16,735.02, down 1.1% for the week. 
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell more than 6 basis points to 4.491%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) declined 1.55 to 12.92.

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🟢 What’s up

  • Gap popped 27% after the retail conglomerate raised its guidance for the year and sales for all four of its brands beat earnings expectations.
  • Caesars jumped 12% because of the Carl Icahn effect: The investor reportedly acquired a “sizeable stake” in the casino company, per Bloomberg.
  • The Boston Beer Company shares gained 21% on reports that the company may sell itself to Suntory.
  • Ambarella leapt 20% after better-than-expected earnings for the semiconductor company.
  • PENN Entertainment jumped 20% today after an activist investor called for a sale of the company.

What’s down

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Private equity and consolidation are leading to a rise in hospital costs for patients. (the Wall Street Journal)

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DAILY UPDATE: Hims & Hers, MSFT-AI, Neuralink, FDIC and New Market Highs

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Microsoft unveiled new PCs with AI-powered features.

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Hims & Hers stock soared as much as 38% on the news that it’ll provide GLP-1 injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic or Wegovy for just $199/month—an 85% discount compared to Wegovy’s ~$1,350 monthly price tag (without insurance).

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FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg will resign after an investigation found widespread sexual harassment at the agency. But he won’t step down until a successor is named.

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The FDA granted Elon Musk’s neurotech company Neuralink, approval to place its brain chip into a second human test subject using a new method designed to correct issues that arose after its inaugural insertion in January, per the Wall Street Journal.

And, Optum Rx is shaking up its pharmacy model. The business says it will make drug costs more predictable and transparent for clients.

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  • All three indexes ended the day higher after Fed Governor Christopher Waller stopped by CNBC and mentioned he doesn’t think raising interest rates is in the cards, even if the Fed is waiting for more data before making cuts. The NASDAQ continued to hit new all-time highs today as investors place their bets before Nvidia’s earnings announcement tomorrow afternoon, and the S&P 500 hit yet another record.
  • Copper continued to rise as the market comes to terms with the metal’s importance, while oil fell on the news that the Biden administration will release 1 million barrels of gasoline this summer from the Northeast reserve. Meanwhile, ethereum continued to climb on the news that a new ETF may be joining the fray.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 13.28 points (0.3%) to 5,321.41; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 66.22 points (0.2%) to 39,872.99; the NASDAQ Composite advanced 37.75 points (0.2%) to 16,832.62.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) lost more than 2 basis points to 4.414%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.29 to 11.86.

Banking and consumer staples were among the market’s strongest performers Tuesday, while utility shares extended a sharp upswing over the past month. The Dow Jones Utility Average® ($DJU) added 0.5% and closed at a 12-month high. Transportation companies were among the weakest performers.

In other markets, Gold (/GC) futures slipped from Monday’s record high above $2,454 per ounce, while Silver (/SI) futures ended near a 12-year high around $32.21. Gold futures are still up 17% this year due to several factors, including reports of China’s central bank buying actual gold as well as escalating conflict in the Middle East. Gold is viewed by some as a safe-haven asset during periods of heightened geopolitical tension.

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DAILY UPDATE: Top Causes of Death, Narcan Saves Lives but Scientific Research Fraudulent as DJIA Tops 40,000

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Walgreens has released its own brand of naloxone, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Available online now, Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray comes with two doses for $34.99, about $10 cheaper than the name-brand version, Narcan. The over-the-counter medication will also be available in stores by the end of May in the pain aisle, according to a press release, making the life-saving nasal spray more accessible.

***

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 6.17 points (0.1%) to 5,303.27, up 1.5% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 134.21 points (0.3%) to 40,003.59, up 1.2% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) lost 12.35 points (0.1%) to 16,685.97, up 2.1% for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose more than 4 basis points to 4.42%, down about 8 basis points for the week.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.43 to 11.99.

Among major companies, Nvidia (NVDA) dropped 2% Friday but still posted a 2.9% advance for the week ahead of the semiconductor leader’s quarterly earnings Wednesday. Among sectors, energy shares led gainers behind a 1% jump in WTI Crude Oil (/CL) futures. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) ended little changed but still gained 1.7% for the week.

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Fraudulent research papers have cost scientific journal publishers millions in lost revenue. (the Wall Street Journal)

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The 10 Top Causes of Adult Death in the U.S.A.

1.  Heart disease 267.2* 2.  Cancer 142.3 3.  Unintentional injuries 64.0 4.  COVID-19 44.5 5.  Stroke 39.5 6.  Chronic lower respiratory disease 34.3 7.  Alzheimer disease 28.9 8.  Diabetes 24.1  9   Kidney disease 13.8 10. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 13.8 Deaths per 100,000 population.

Source: Jeffrey Bendix, Medical Economics [5/15/24]

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DAILY UPDATE: Healthcare Monopolies, Ark Invest and the Stock Markets Mega Rally

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More people are interested in determining their “heart age” using new tests and tech tools, but some skeptics say it’s not a healthy data point to focus on. (the Wall Street Journal)

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The Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest just made some significant trades. The most prominent among them were the increased stakes in Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) and the reduced holdings in Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN).

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 61.47 points (1.2%) to 5,308.15; the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 349.89 points (0.9%) to 39,908.00; the NASDAQ Composite rallied 231.21 points (1.4%) to 16,742.39.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield fell almost 10 basis points to 4.348%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) dropped 0.97 to 12.45.

Chipmaker shares led the way higher Wednesday, lifting the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) almost 3% to a 10-week high. Interest-rate-sensitive sectors like real estate and utilities were also strong. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) advanced 1.1% to a seven-week high. The U.S. Dollar Index ($DXY) slumped to its weakest level in five weeks, reflecting expectations for lower interest rates that may reduce the appeal of U.S. fixed income assets.

Among companies, Cisco Systems (CSC) surged 1.5% ahead of its quarterly results expected after Wednesday’s close. Dow member Walmart (WMT) is expected to release results Thursday morning as the unofficial retail earnings season accelerates. 

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And The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it has established a new task force to take on healthcare monopolies and collusion. The task force, made up of prosecutors, economists, healthcare industry experts and others, will guide the division’s enforcement strategy and policy approach in healthcare, including by facilitating policy advocacy, investigations and, where warranted, civil and criminal enforcement in healthcare markets.

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APRIL 2024: US Hiring Slows

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Job growth slowed and unemployment ticked higher last month, marking a break from a string of data showing surprising strength in the labor market.

U.S. employers added a seasonally adjusted 175,00 jobs in April, the Labor Department reported on Friday. That was far less than in March, when gains exceeded 300,000, and also below what economists had expected. The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9% from March’s 3.8%.

According to the WSJ, wages also rose less than anticipated, increasing 3.9% from a year earlier after rising 4.1% in March.

Friday’s report today is sure to stir immediate debate among economists and investors about whether the labor market is merely cooling in a welcome fashion or starting to show more serious strains under the pressure of higher interest rates.

Treasury yields, which largely reflect investors’ expectations for short-term rates set by the Federal Reserve, fell after the report. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was 4.471% in recent trading, according to Tradeweb, down from 4.569% Thursday.

Stock futures climbed, suggesting investors were pleased with the data, which could increase optimism about the outlook for inflation.

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DOJ: Antitrust Reportedly Investigating UnitedHealth Group

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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On February 27, 2024, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group (UHG), the owner of the biggest health insurer in the U.S. and the leading manager of drug benefits and one of the largest networks of physician groups. This investigation comes as the Biden administration’s antitrust enforcers have ramped up investigations into some of the biggest U.S. companies, including Amazon, Apple, and Google.

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This Health Capital Topics article reviews the reported government investigation. (Read more…)

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FOR 4 BIG BANKS: A Big Quarter

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An uptick in corporate dealmaking fueled investment banking growth at the four largest US banksJPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank—as well as at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The result was “one of [investment banking’s] best quarters” since the Fed began hiking rates in 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported. Their earnings releases over the last week either matched or beat the consensus forecasts for revenue and earnings per share, according to the WSJ.

“It’s clear that we’re in the early stages of a reopening of the capital markets,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in an earnings call last Monday. Goldman reported that growth in its investment banking and trading pushed its net income up 28% year over year, beating analyst expectations. Solomon said he expects more M&A activity will keep boosting the demand for debt underwriting at Goldman, which saw a 32% Year over Year jump in internet-banking revenue.

Solomon’s sunny outlook was beclouded the next day by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The Fed had hoped inflation reports would show it could cut rates soon without overheating the economy, but instead inflation has continued to tick up.

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DAILY UPDATE: Tesla Lay Offs, Mammograms, Physician Pay, UnitedHealth and Tele-Health as Stock Markets Close Mixed

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Stat: 10%. That’s the percentage of Tesla employees that will be impacted by its global workforce reduction. Elon Musk sent an email to employees on Monday informing them of the layoffs, which he said were made to “reduce costs and increase productivity,” according to the WSJ. The move comes as the electric vehicle maker deals with a wider slowdown in EV sales. (the Wall Street Journal)

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UnitedHealth Group, reeling from the Change cyberattack, recorded a loss of $1.4 billion in the first quarter. Still, its EPS exceeded expectations and the stock is trading up.


The Florida Medicaid market is a big prize for insurers. Just three plans earned statewide contracts, starting in October.


And … physicians made steady pay gains last year, but increases were undercut by inflation rates. See how other specialties fared, according to a report from Medscape.

The social determinants of health can impact a woman’s chance of being up to date with her mammogram, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Women are less likely to get a mammogram if they feel socially isolated, have lost a job or don’t have reliable transportation.


And…A major House subcommittee is considering whether to issue another short-term extension on telehealth flexibilities as they continue to evaluate cost and quality issues or to enact permanent changes to virtual care reimbursement.  The American Telemedicine Association is pushing Congress to make permanent the Medicare telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) declined 10.41 points (0.2%) to 5,051.41, its lowest close in almost two months; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) advanced 63.86 points (0.2%) to 37,798.97; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) eased 19.77 points (0.1%) to 15,865.25.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield gained almost 4 basis points to 4.667%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.83 to 18.40.

Scaled-back expectations for Fed rate cuts continued to burden interest-rate-sensitive sectors, such as banks and utilities. The KBW Regional Bank Index (KRX) lost 1.4% and ended near a five-month low. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) dropped 0.4% and ended at a two-month low.

In other markets, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) strengthened for the fifth consecutive trading day and hit its highest level since late October, reflecting expectations rates will stay elevated. 

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

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15: PODCAST: CPAs are Out … Are CMPs™ In?

CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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The giant accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP is laying off 200 people, its second round of layoffs in the past six months and an indication that the major players in the professional consulting, accounting and advisory business are preparing for an economic slowdown that could squeeze profits across corporate America.

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Statistics: 7.4%. That’s the percentage drop in students who graduated with a degree in accounting in the 2021–2022 school year than the year before. Low starting salaries, heavy workloads, and uncertainty around AI are driving the exodus of students from choosing accounting degrees. (the Wall Street Journal).

MORE: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/accounting-salary-cpa-shortage-dec2caa2?utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew

PODCAST: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_bricklin_meet_the_inventor_of_the_electronic_spreadsheet

CMP RELATED: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/10/29/become-a-board-certified-medical-planner-healthcare-niche-advisor-and-thrive/

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DAILY UPDATE: Impending C.P.I. and UPS

By Staff Reporters

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US Economists just polled by The Wall Street Journal forecast a mild 0.2% in increase in consumer prices in the first month of 2024. The inflation rate in the past 12 months would decelerate to 2.9% from a prior 3.4%. If forecasters are right, it would mark the first time the CPI has fallen below 3% in almost three years.

The drama in the report, if there’s any, is likely to come from the more closely followed core CPI that omits food and energy prices. The core rate is viewed as a better predictor of future inflation. Wall Street expects the core rate to rise 0.3% — the upper limit of what the Fed would find tolerable in the short run. The 12-month increase in the core rate could also dip to 3.7% from 3.9%.

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

UPS, the shipping giant, which forecast weak demand for parcel delivery in 2024, has said it plans to lay off 12,000 employees to save $1 billion in costs. It’s also mulling a sale of its Coyote brokerage unit.

This shocking announcement was made on January 30th and comes just six months after unionized UPS workers landed a “lucrative” new labor deal, which will see delivery drivers earning an average of $170,000 in annual pay and benefits by the end of the five years. “2023 was a unique, and quite candidly, difficult and disappointing year,” said UPS CEO Carol Tomé during the company’s earnings call. “We experienced declines in volume, revenue and operating profits and all three of our business segments.”

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DAILY UPDATE: The “Magnificent Seven” Technology Stocks PLUS Uber

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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  • Markets: The Magnificent Seven technology mega-cap stocks—Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, and Amazon—have surged 75% this year, while the other 493 companies in the S&P 500 have gained 12%. The Magnificent Seven now account for nearly 30% of the entire index’s value, per the WSJ.
  • Stock spotlight: Speaking of the S&P 500, it’s getting a prominent new member—Uber will join the index today. With a market cap of $127 billion, Uber is the most valuable company that hadn’t yet been included in the S&P 500, and it celebrated by notching a 52-week high last week.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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The UK Questions Microsoft & OpenAI as Aetna Medicaid Aids Hungry Homeless

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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United Kingdom Regulators Looking into Microsoft’s Partnership with OpenAI

A British watchdog is asking for feedback on whether Microsoft’s $13 billion, 49% stake in the ChatGPT-maker’s for-profit division constitutes a merger, the WSJ just eported. So, if the agency decides to launch a formal investigation into whether the partnership creates an unfair advantage in the artificial intelligence industry, it could eventually force the companies to change how they operate.

And, following OpenAI’s dramatic firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman last month, Microsoft was given a “nonvoting observer” seat on the OpenAI board.

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

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Aetna Better Health of Georgia has invested $510,000 in 17 local organizations that offer services for individuals experiencing food insecurity and homelessness across the state of Georgia.

“A holistic approach to health care starts with ensuring each individual has stable and consistent access to healthy, nutritious foods, as well as a safe place to live,” said Sonya Nelson, division president at Aetna Medicaid. “By partnering with local organizations committed to improving the quality of life for all Georgians, we can help ensure people’s most basic needs are fulfilled and they’re able to prioritize care for themselves and their families.”

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DAILY UPDATE: Apple Credit Card, Drug Prices and the Modest Stock Markets

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Apple is pulling the plug on its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs Group, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The tech giant recently sent a proposal to the Wall Street bank to exit the contract in the next 12 to 15 months, the report said, citing people briefed on the matter.

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Senators Elizabeth Warren (Democrat) and Mike Braun (Republican) sent a letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services last week, asking it to investigate whether large insurance companies are hiking prescription drug prices at pharmacies they own

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Here is where the major benchmarks ended:

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) was up 4.46 points (0.1%) at 4,554.89; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 83.51 points (0.2%) at 35,416.98; the NASDAQ Composite® (COMP) was up 40.73 points (0.3%) at 14,281.76.
  • The 10-year Treasury yield was down about 6 basis points at 4.33%.
  • The CBOE® Volatility Index (VIX) was little-changed at 12.69.

Semiconductor and transportation shares were among the weakest performers Tuesday, and regional banks were also under pressure. Small cap stocks also lagged. The Russell 2000® Index (RUT) fell about 0.4% for its lowest close in a week.

Retailers and utilities were among the firmest sectors. In other markets, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) weakened to its lowest level since mid-August, reflecting expectations that U.S. interest rates have peaked.

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

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DAILY UPDATE: Realtors Liable for $1.8-B as US Millionaires and Stock Markets Rise Anew

By Staff Reporters

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.—A federal jury just found the National Association of Realtors and large residential brokerages liable for about $1.8 billion in damages after determining they conspired to keep commissions for home sales artificially high. The verdict could lead to industry wide upheaval by changing decades-old rules that have helped lock in commission rates even as home prices have skyrocketed—which has allowed real-estate agents to collect ever-larger sums. It comes in the first of two antitrust lawsuits arguing that unlawful industry practices have left consumers unable to lower their costs even though internet-era innovations have allowed many buyers to find homes themselves online.

Real Estate for Physicians: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/01/19/real-estate-for-physician-investors/

The Sitzer/Burnett class action lawsuit alleged that some of the nation’s largest real estate companies, including NAR, Keller Williams, Anywhere (formerly, Realogy), RE/MAX, Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices of America and two of its subsidiaries conspired to inflate commissions.

Commercial Real Estate for Physicians: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/05/03/on-doctors-investing-in-commercial-real-estate/

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  • Over 12% of American families, or over 16 million, are millionaires, per the WSJ.
  • Median net worth for the 80th-90th income percentile saw net worth gains of 69% from 2019 to 2022.
  • The upper-middle class is growing and becoming wealthier, particularly among those aged 55-74.

It’s not just the top 1% that’s getting richer — over 16 million American families now have a net worth over $1 million. That’s over 12% of American families, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances of over 4,600 American households. This compares to just 9.8 million families who were millionaires in 2019, the WSJ found.

Physician Finances: https://marcinkoassociates.com/financial-planning/

The analysis further noted how nearly eight million families have wealth over $2 million, compared to 4.7 million in 2019. This was particularly pronounced among families in the 55-74 age range. On the whole, median net worth — which measures household assets like houses and vehicles, minus debts like mortgages and student loans — rose an inflation-adjusted 37% between 2019 and 2022 up to around $193,000. Meanwhile, the average net worth rose to over $1 million, though this is skewed by extremely wealthy Americans.

Net worth has increased for all income percentiles even amid rising interest rates, though while the top 10% jumped from $1.84 million to $2.65 million, the bottom 20% rose from $10,780 to $16,900.

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

Finally, here is where the major US stock market benchmarks ended:

Economists expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged today, allowing previous rate increases to take greater hold of the economy and granting the central bank time to assess whether another hike will be necessary. Investors and policymakers will closely scour comments made by Fed Chair Jerome Powell for clues about the central bank’s path over the remainder of the year.

  • The S&P 500 Index was up 26.98 points (0.7%) at 4,193.80, down 2.2% for the month; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 123.91 points (0.4%) at 33,052.87, down 1.4% for the month; the NASDAQ Composite was up 61.76 points (0.5%) at 12,851.24, down 2.8% for the month.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was up about 3 basis points at 4.909%.
  • CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX) was down 1.61 at 18.14.

Real estate and financial shares were among the strongest performers Tuesday. Semiconductor companies were also higher. Energy shares lagged as crude oil futures extended their slide, dropping to near $81 a barrel to end at a two-month low. The U.S. dollar index (DXY) strengthened to near 11-month highs in the wake of a Bank of Japan (BoJ) policy shift.

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M&As: A New Guidelines Draft

By Staff Reporters

http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

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Last month, the FTC and DOJ jointly released a draft of new guidelines they will use to evaluate potential mergers and acquisitions (M&As).

The guidelines include 13 principles the agencies will follow when scrutinizing deals. The principles stipulate that mergers may not “entrench or extend a dominant position,” eliminate competition between firms, increase concentration in an already concentrated market, or prevent new players from entering a market. The guidelines will be finalized following a 60-day public comment period.

The proposed rules reflect a return to pre-2010 guidelines on concentration, the Wall Street Journal reported, noting that they’d apply to deals that resulted in firms having a market share of 30% or more. The new guidance may give the FTC and DOJ, which have filed numerous antitrust actions, more leeway to go after deals.

PHYSICIAN ENTREPRENEURS: https://marcinkoassociates.com/welcome-medical-colleagues/

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RETAIL: Sales

By Staff Reporters

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Stat: 0.7%. That’s how much retail sales grew last month, a sign that inflation isn’t dampening consumer spending or demand. (CNBC)

Quote: “This is pure market economics. We do not magically have thousands of additional AI developers, product managers, and everything else.”Paul J. Groce, partner and head of the Americas at recruitment firm Leathwaite, on how a talent shortage is driving up wages for AI positions. (the Wall Street Journal)

Read: The teetering company threatening China’s economy. (the New York Times)

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DAILY UPDATE: The Markets, Retail Earnings and US Steel

By Staff Reporters

.Markets: The market’s rally during the first half of the year has fizzled out this summer despite a greater share of companies beating earnings projections than usual, the WSJ reports. For example, UPS, Apple, and PayPal all topped Wall Street expectations…only to watch shares fall after their reports. Investors suggest it’s a “snap back to reality” moment after market euphoria in H1.

  • Retailers take the earnings stage. Walmart, Home Depot, and Target will give us a peek into consumer spending, which drives two-thirds of the US economy. Americans filling up their shopping carts (despite interest rates rising to a 22-year high) is one of the main reasons those recession predictions haven’t materialized yet.
  • US Steel, a symbol of American industrial might in the early 20th century, is considering selling itself.

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UPDATE: Market Predictions and the Global Economy?

By Staff Reporters

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  • Predictions: The stock market could surge 7% this week as quarter-end re-balancing leads to a buying spree in equities, according to JPMorgan. The bank expects re-balancing trades to favor equities after a year-to-date decline of nearly 20%. “Next week’s re-balance is important since equity markets were down significantly over the past month, quarter and six-month time periods.”
  • Markets: With the S&P having plunged nearly 18% this year, expect W. Buffett to preach the value of value stocks (aka steady, non-flashy public companies). By one measure, they’re on track to beat growth stocks by the widest margin in more than two decades, according to the WSJ.
  • Global economy: Russia defaulted on its foreign-currency sovereign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918 after failing to pay bondholders $100 million worth of interest by the end of a 30-day grace period. The default marks the beginning of a complex legal journey for bondholders, but it’s not expected to have any major consequences for the Russian economy, which has already been battered by Western sanctions.

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

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A [Another] Doctors’ Problem with Electronic Medical Records

ME-P in the Forefront of “Reasonable” Skepticism

By Staff Reporters

There is no doubt that paper medical records can cause harm. They are easily lost and damaged, they disappear during emergencies, and they are often incomplete. 

With incorrect or missing information, doctors end up duplicating tests, making uninformed decisions and delaying care. 

Another POV

Well true enough, but redundancy also reduces the instantaneous and widespread electronic dissemination of incorrect information. For example, we’ve all seen patients allergic to the drug ampicillin, being confused with the drugs penicillin, amoxicillin, dicloxacillin, ticarcillin and bicillin, etc.

Now, just suppose an eMR patient history was inputted incorrectly by a doctor, nurse, or some medical assistant or lightly trained technical aide?  Instant error dissemination – times a zillion!

So, paper notes and medical charting redundancy does involve a bit of double-checking, which is a good thing!

THINK: Wrong sided surgery, never-events, etc.

The Skeptics

Patients – and all of us – deserve better, of course. And, we are naturally skeptical here at the ME-P. But, are electronic charts really the answer?

Alexander Friedman MD [Fellow in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania], author of this new WSJ essay, sure doesn’t seem to think so. He joins these other experts, opining both for and against eMRs on this ME-P.

Channel: https://healthcarefinancials.wordpress.com/category/information-technology/

Assessment

Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126599531264644979.html

Conclusion

And so, your thoughts and comments are appreciated. Tell us what you think about eMRs. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too! Then, be sure to subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

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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 

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More JAMA [Hypocritical] Censorship on Big-Pharma Funding

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Janus-Like Opposing Views Becoming Contentious

[By Staff Reporters]

mac-runningAccording to Tracy Staton, the Journal of the American Medical Association may be fighting to keep long-running internal arguments over conflicts-of-interest with big pharma a secret. But, in public, it’s advocating strict limits on industry funding for medical associations.

JAMA Proposals

A set of proposals published recently in JAMA, calls for associations such as the American Society of Clinical Oncologists, to refuse general budget support from drug and device companies. Currently, many specialty physicians’ groups are partly funded by industry. Companies also sponsor conferences, physician fellowships and buy ads in the societies’ journals. The proposed guidelines would allow associations to continue to accept industry advertising and to allow industry-sponsored booths at conferences.

Distinction

The key distinction, the article’s lead author said, is that ads and booths are clearly presenting a company’s point of view. “You can read the ads, skip the ads, but there’s nothing hidden,” David J. Rothman, a professor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, told the Wall Street Journal. “What I don’t like is when I can’t tell if what I’m hearing is science, or marketing in the guise of science.”

Opposing Viewpoints

But others disagree. For example, the American College of Cardiology’s chief allegedly told the paper that industry funding has “zero impact on the content of any program here.” And PhRMA said that the guidelines could limit the information doctors receive. “It’s important to realize that [doctors] have their own sense of integrity,” a PhRMA spokeswoman.

Assessment

ME-P publisher, Dr. David Edward Marcinko, on the other hand, believes that Columbia University’s torturous verbal parsing is

“merely a distinction with little substantive difference.”

Link:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123854648226076095.html

Conclusion

And so, your thoughts and comments on this Medical Executive-Post are appreciated? Do you agree with the current – but aging medical establishment – or the emerging generation of young and idealistic medical students and physicians who increasingly abhor the big-pharma practices? Is this another example of tawdry JAMA censorship? Is the AMA running away from its moral ethos of professional integrity?

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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  

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