Shares of US health-care insurers and hospitals are falling as lawmakers near a deal to end the record shutdown without extending Affordable Care Act subsidies https://t.co/45MO33dsN1 ...

Group 1: Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) - The company operates hospitals and behavioral health care facilities and holds a Zacks Rank 1 [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 3.8% over the last 60 days [1] - Universal Health has a PEG ratio of 0.80, which is lower than the industry average of 0.95, and possesses a Growth Score of B [1] Group 2: Grupo Cibest S.A. (CIB) - The company provides banking services and products and also carries a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 3.3% over the last 60 days [2] - Grupo Cibest has a PEG ratio of 1.14, significantly lower than the industry average of 2.70, and possesses a Growth Score of B [2] Group 3: Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU) - The company operates as an online brokerage and wealth management platform and holds a Zacks Rank 1 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 6.2% over the last 60 days [3] - Futu has a PEG ratio of 0.71, which is lower than the industry average of 1.06, and possesses a Growth Score of B [3]

Group 1: Fox Corporation (FOXA) - Fox Corporation is a news, sports, and entertainment company with a Zacks Rank 1 [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 2.2% over the last 60 days [1] - The company has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 15.32, significantly lower than the industry average of 49.70 [1] - Fox possesses a Value Score of A, indicating strong value characteristics [1] Group 2: Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) - Universal Health Services operates hospitals and behavioral health care facilities and also carries a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 3.8% over the last 60 days [2] - The company has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 10.24, compared to the S&P 500 average of 25.13 [2] - Universal Health possesses a Value Score of A, reflecting strong value characteristics [2]

Core Points - Auna S.A. has successfully priced U.S.$365 million of 8.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2032, which will be co-issued with Oncosalud S.A.C. [1] - The notes will be used to fund a tender offer for Auna's existing 10.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 and to prepay existing indebtedness [2] Company Overview - Auna is a leading healthcare platform in Latin America, operating in Mexico, Peru, and Colombia, focusing on prevention and complex diseases [4] - Founded in 1989, Auna has developed a large healthcare network with 31 facilities, including hospitals and wellness centers, serving 1.4 million health plan members [4]

Group 1 - Community Health Systems (CHS) has agreed to sell its stakes in two joint ventures to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) for $600 million, which includes the acquisition of the remaining 80% stake in the joint ventures that operate Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville and other ancillary businesses [7] - The deal will make Tennova Healthcare a part of VUMC's regional medical centers, expanding its presence in Tennessee, where VUMC already operates seven hospitals [3][7] - The transaction is expected to close early next year, pending regulatory approvals and closing conditions [7] Group 2 - VUMC's interest in the hospital is driven by population growth in Clarksville, which has a population of 200,000, making it Tennessee's fifth largest city [3] - CHS has been divesting full or partial stakes in several hospitals this year, including facilities in Florida, Texas, and North Carolina, indicating a strategic shift [5] - CHS's CEO mentioned during a recent investor call that the company has several deals in progress, hinting at ongoing restructuring efforts [4]

Market Overview - Benchmark indices traded largely flat with the Sensex down 17.61 points or 0.02% at 83,921.10 and the Nifty up 17.30 points or 0.07% at 25,739.40 [1] Top Gainers - Shriram Finance was the top gainer on the Nifty, surging 5.30% to ₹788.60 [2] - Apollo Hospitals gained 1.92% to ₹7,828.50, Mahindra & Mahindra rose 1.58% to ₹3,542.30, State Bank of India added 1.17% to ₹948, and SBI Life Insurance climbed 1.09% to ₹1,977 [2] Top Losers - Maruti Suzuki was the worst performer, declining 3.35% to ₹15,644 [3] - ITC dropped 1.44% to ₹414.30, Tata Consultancy Services fell 1.23% to ₹3,020.50, Bharat Electronics shed 1.11% to ₹421.35, and Larsen & Toubro slipped 0.95% to ₹3,992.50 [3] Broader Market Performance - Broader markets outperformed benchmarks with Nifty Midcap 100 rising 0.55% to 60,150 and Nifty Next 50 gaining 0.80% to 70,384.30 [4] - Sectoral indices showed strength in banking and financial services, with Nifty Bank up 0.54% at 58,086.70 and Nifty Financial Services advancing 0.55% to 27,287.95 [4] Market Breadth - Market breadth remained positive on the BSE with 2,124 stocks advancing against 1,939 declining stocks out of 4,303 traded [5] - A total of 150 stocks hit their 52-week highs, while 70 touched 52-week lows [5] - Additionally, 212 stocks hit the upper circuit compared to 189 in the lower circuit [5]

Market Overview - Markets opened cautiously with benchmark indices trading nearly flat as investors assessed mixed global signals and awaited domestic triggers [1][2] - The BSE Sensex opened at ₹83,835.10 and was trading at ₹83,959.99, up 21.28 points or 0.03% [1] - The Nifty 50 opened at ₹25,696.85 and was trading at ₹25,748.80, up 26.70 points or 0.10% [1] Sector Performance - Renewed buying interest in PSU banks and realty stocks provided early support, indicating selective optimism among investors [2] - The PSU Bank index was the top performer last week, rallying 4.66%, while the Capital Market index was the biggest loser, shedding 1.83% [7] Stock Movements - Top gainers on the Nifty 50 included Shriram Finance, which surged 5.19% to ₹787.75, and Mahindra & Mahindra, which gained 1.91% to ₹3,553.70 [3] - On the losing side, Maruti Suzuki led the decliners, falling 2.77% to ₹15,737.00, followed by Titan Company, which dropped 1.17% to ₹3,703.00 [4] Technical Analysis - The Nifty 50 is holding firm above the support level of 25,660, with resistance levels at 25,870–25,960–26,050 [5] - The Bank Nifty faced resistance near ₹58,500, with support at ₹57,500 acting as a solid base [6] Institutional Activity - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their selling streak, offloading equities worth ₹6,769 crore on October 31, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) purchased equities worth over ₹7,000 crore [8] - The strategy of FIIs selling on rallies and reallocating to better-performing markets is expected to continue [9] Commodity Market - In commodities, gold had support at ₹1,20,870-₹1,20,480 and resistance at ₹1,21,890-₹1,22,300, while silver had support at ₹1,47,450-₹1,46,750 and resistance at ₹1,49,340-₹1,50,280 [10]

Core Insights - The company plans to add 395 inpatient rehabilitation beds by 2027 through new openings and strategic additions, including a 45-bed hospital in Temple, Texas, and a 32-bed unit in Orlando, Florida [1][5] - The delay of the 20% transmittal rule by CMS is seen as beneficial, allowing for a favorable revenue adjustment this quarter, with expectations of a smaller impact in future periods due to stabilized labor costs [2][3][29] - Revenue for the third quarter grew over 7% to $1.36 billion, with adjusted EBITDA also increasing over 7% to $111.7 million, and earnings per share from continuing operations rose over 21% to $0.23 [7][12] Development and Expansion - The company opened a fourth rehab hospital in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, adding 32 new beds, and plans to open additional facilities in 2026 and 2027, including a 76-bed rehab hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey [1][5] - Future development efforts will focus on the inpatient rehabilitation segment, with plans to add two acute rehab units and two neurotransitional units [5][6] Financial Performance - Inpatient rehab hospital revenue increased 16% year over year to $328.6 million, with adjusted EBITDA up 13% to $68 million [7][9] - The outpatient rehab division saw a revenue increase of 4% to $325.4 million, but adjusted EBITDA decreased over 14% to $24.2 million due to a reduction in Medicare reimbursement and unfavorable payer mix [8][9] - The critical illness recovery hospital division's revenue increased over 4% to $609.9 million, with adjusted EBITDA rising over 10% to $56.1 million [9] Regulatory Environment - The CMS's deferment of the expanded Medicare outlier reconciliation criteria is viewed positively, although further reforms are needed to support treatment for high acuity patients [2][4][19] - The fixed loss threshold for outlier payments has increased significantly over the past four years, impacting the ability to accommodate acutely ill patients [16][20] Capital Management - The company ended the quarter with $1.8 billion in debt and $60.1 million in cash, maintaining a net leverage of 3.4 times [10][11] - A cash dividend of $0.0625 per share was approved, reflecting the company's commitment to enhancing shareholder value [6]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported normalized FFO of $0.13 per share for Q3 2025, which would have been $0.01 higher if not for the payment of September rent by cash basis HSA on October 1 [17] - Approximately $82 million in net impairments were recorded, primarily related to Prospect Medical Group and the decline in expected proceeds from certain Pennsylvania and Rhode Island assets [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - General acute care operators reported a more than $200 million increase in EBITDARM year over year, with notable tenants like LifePoint Health and ScionHealth showing double-digit revenue increases [5] - Post-acute operators saw a $50 million EBITDARM increase compared to the same quarter last year, with specific operators like Ernest Health up 17%, Vibra up 33%, and Median up 7% [5] - The Behavioral Health portfolio experienced a $10 million year-over-year EBITDARM increase [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - International operators comprise approximately 50% of the total portfolio, with consistent coverage exceeding two times [10] - In the UK, Circle Health maintains a high reputation score in patient satisfaction, significantly investing in advanced technologies [10] - Median in Germany reported strong negotiated reimbursement rates and occupancy trends, outperforming prior year revenue and earnings [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to generate total annualized cash rent of more than $1 billion by year-end 2026, excluding contributions from California Prospect properties [9] - A new $150 million share repurchase program has been authorized, reflecting the belief that the share price is significantly undervalued [9] - The company is evaluating the sale or lease of several non-performing assets while also considering sales of earning assets for attractive gains [23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ability to generate significant cash flow from 388 properties and approximately 39,000 licensed beds globally [16] - The company expects cash proceeds from the settlement with Yale New Haven Health and the sale of Connecticut facilities to be sufficient to repay outstanding DIP loan balances [18] - Management believes that the current macro policy environment makes the capital solutions offered by the company more important than ever [9] Other Important Information - The company has committed approximately $40 million over the next two years for necessary infrastructure and capital improvement projects [14] - The company continues to monitor and plan for the maintenance of all debt covenants while executing various capital strategies [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the company weigh looking at a buyback versus using capital for debt repayment? - The company recognizes the undervaluation of its shares and has multiple opportunities for capital use, including asset sales and debt repurchases [27][28] Question: Can the company highlight the timing of potential buybacks? - Management indicated that buybacks could start immediately, despite upcoming debt maturities [34][35] Question: What is the status of HSA's performance and the late September rent payment? - HSA continues to perform well, with improvements in doctor recruitment and no expected issues regarding future rent payments [37][41] Question: What is the progress on the Yale New Haven hospitals? - Two facilities are under binding agreement, with expectations to close before year-end, and a third facility is expected to have a binding agreement imminently [43][46] Question: Can the company provide an update on rent collections in Pennsylvania and Ohio? - Rent collection issues were primarily related to an Ohio facility that has since reopened, with expectations for full rent to begin in January [50][51]

Core Insights - Five stocks have been added to the Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) List, indicating strong potential for investment returns Group 1: Company Performance - Heritage Commerce Corp (HTBK) has seen a 4.9% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - HCA Healthcare (HCA), the largest non-governmental operator of acute care hospitals in the U.S., has experienced a 3.2% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - Futu Holdings (FUTU), a technology company offering a digitized brokerage platform, has seen a 1.5% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - Five Below (FIVE), a specialty value chain retailer, has experienced a 1% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [3] - Eagle Bancorp Montana (EBMT), a bank holding company, has seen a 0.6% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [4]