Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of shareholder yield as a metric for long-term investors, combining dividend yield, share buybacks, and net debt reduction to assess how effectively a company returns capital to shareholders [2][4][5] Shareholder Yield Components - Dividends provide a steady income stream and signal management's confidence in financial health, contributing significantly to total equity returns, especially in sideways or bear markets [3] - Share buybacks reduce share count, enhancing per-share metrics like earnings and cash flow, which is particularly beneficial in low-growth environments [3] - Debt reduction improves balance sheet strength, reducing default risk and enhancing resilience during economic downturns, benefiting investors through improved financial positioning [4] Investment Opportunities - Companies with high shareholder yield, such as RITHM Capital Corp (RITM), Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH), Lam Research (LRCX), and McKesson (MCK), are highlighted as attractive options for income and capital appreciation [4][10][13][15][18] - RITM offers a competitive dividend yield of approximately 8.92%, with a history of increasing dividends and reducing long-term debt from $27.19 billion in 2020 to $18.6 billion in 2024 [8][10] - Cognizant has a dividend yield of 1.64%, with a payout ratio of 26% and a focus on reducing long-term debt from $663 million in 2020 to $567 million in 2024 [12][13] - Lam Research provides a dividend yield of around 1%, with a payout ratio of 25% and a reduction in long-term debt from $4.97 billion in 2020 to $3.73 billion in 2024 [14][15] - McKesson has a dividend yield of approximately 0.39%, with a payout ratio of 9% and a reduction in long-term debt from $14.47 billion in 2021 to $10.06 billion in 2024 [17][18] Performance and Rankings - RITM currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) and a Zacks Value Score of 'B', indicating strong upside potential [11] - Cognizant has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) and a Zacks Value Score of 'B', suggesting solid prospects [13] - Lam Research carries a Zacks Rank of 2 and a Zacks Value Score of 'C', indicating good potential [16] - McKesson has a Zacks Rank 2 and a Zacks Value Score of 'A', implying strong prospects for the stock [19]

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides various tools to help investors make informed decisions and invest confidently in the stock market [1][2] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that assist investors in selecting stocks likely to outperform the market within 30 days, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics [3] - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios like P/E and Price/Sales [4] - The Growth Score emphasizes a company's financial health and future growth potential, analyzing projected and historical earnings and cash flow [5] - The Momentum Score helps investors capitalize on price trends by evaluating recent price changes and earnings estimate shifts [6] - The VGM Score combines all three Style Scores, providing a comprehensive assessment of stocks based on value, growth, and momentum [7] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to simplify portfolio building, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8][9] - Investors are encouraged to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for optimal returns [11] Stock Highlight: McKesson Corporation - McKesson Corporation, a healthcare services and IT company, holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of A, making it a strong candidate for growth investors [13] - The company is projected to experience year-over-year earnings growth of 12.6% for the current fiscal year, supported by positive earnings estimate revisions from analysts [14]

Group 1 - CVS Health briefly took the top S&P 500 year-to-date performance spot away from Palantir in early May [1] - The Health Care Services industry company, once considered to be struggling, has shown signs of recovery since bottoming around the turn of the year [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For Q4 2024, total revenue was $702.8 million, flat compared to Q4 2023, while full year revenue reached $2.79 billion, a slight increase of just over 1% [61][63] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $40.4 million, totaling $161.1 million for the full year, reflecting a decrease of approximately 20% [11][62] - Consolidated net loss for Q4 was $23.5 million, while adjusted net income was $2.7 million, or $0.19 per share [63] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The NEMT segment, representing 70% of total revenue, generated $495 million in revenue, remaining flat year over year [64] - Personal Care Services (PCS) revenue increased by 3% year over year to $186.6 million, driven by a 3.5% growth in revenue per hour [68] - Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) revenue was $19.2 million, representing 3% of total revenue but 16% of adjusted EBITDA [69] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Average monthly members in the NEMT segment decreased by approximately 11% year over year, while trip volume increased by 8.5% compared to a year ago [64] - The total addressable market for NEMT is estimated to exceed $6 billion, with an annual MCO revenue base of $1 billion entering 2025 [31] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to strengthen technology-enabled platforms across NEMT, personal care, and monitoring while executing strategic financial initiatives and divesting platforms [12][22] - A focus on monetizing select segments and unlocking value is emphasized, with a strategic alternatives committee established to oversee the divestiture process [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the unprecedented challenges faced in 2024, including Medicaid redetermination and increased healthcare utilization, but expressed confidence in navigating these disruptions [8][9] - The company is optimistic about future growth opportunities, particularly in the MCO segment, with a win rate exceeding 90% over the past two years [31] Other Important Information - The company secured an incremental $75 million term loan and $30 million in new second lien notes to enhance financial flexibility [14][60] - New board appointments were made to enhance expertise in operational efficiency and technology innovation [15][20] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does ModivCare Inc.'s exposure to Medicaid affect fee-for-service contracts? - Management expects that any Medicaid cuts will primarily affect healthier members, and they are currently negotiating to reset payments based on member mix [78][80] Question: Can you provide an update on the sale process? - Management indicated that discussions are ongoing and they are encouraged by the interest in their platforms, but specific timing for sales was not disclosed [83][84] Question: What is the current membership status in NEMT and monitoring? - Membership in NEMT has decreased significantly, with expectations of recovery as new contracts are pursued [89][90] Question: What are the expectations for cash flow in 2025? - Management confirmed that they expect a return to positive free cash flow in the latter half of 2025, with improvements in contract structures aiding liquidity [112][117] Question: How will the transition from shared risk to fee-for-service contracts impact revenue? - Approximately 25% of revenue is expected to shift to fee-for-service contracts, which will help stabilize cash flow and reduce working capital shifts [124][126]

Group 1 - Henry Schein is identified as a notable company for investors, operating as a solutions provider in the healthcare sector [1] - The company is involved in generating cash flow, which is essential for value and growth prospects [1] Group 2 - Crude Value Insights offers an investment service focused on oil and natural gas, emphasizing cash flow analysis [2] - Subscribers have access to a stock model account and in-depth analyses of exploration and production firms [2]