Welcome to Market Catalyst. I'm Julie Hyman. We're 30 minutes into the US trading day, so let's get to the pre-market catalyst we're watching this hour.First up, we'll push ahead to a big week for markets with jobs and inflation data on deck. Plus, we'll bring you the big takeaways from Super Bowl commercials and talk investing in women's sports with former NFL player and executive Jason Wright. And we'll have more on the state of the insurance industry after a $100 billion selloff.We're talking health insu ...

Shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) have been falling rapidly after the company reported its latest earnings numbers. This is even after an already tough year in 2025, when the health insurance giant lost 35% of its value. The market has been especially bearish on the stock due to concerns about lower-than-expected increases in Medicare Advantage rates. Is this an overreaction, and has UnitedHealth Group stock become an incredibly cheap buy, or is it in danger of going even lower? Where to invest $1, ...

American families are now paying more for health insurance than their mortgage. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey, the average family premium for employer-sponsored coverage reached $26,993 annually (or $2,249 per month), exceeding the national median mortgage payment of $2,025, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. For millions of middle-class families with job-based coverage, health insurance now competes directly with housing for budget dominance ...

Molina Healthcare ( MOH ) is a pure play health insurance company. Along with other players in the sector, Molina has been struggling with margin pressure resulting from claims inflation. Molina came out with its Q4 2025 results onThe author has an honours degree in economics and politics with a focus on economic development. With 36 years of experience in executive management he has extensive knowledge of insurance/reinsurance, Global and Asia Pacific markets, climate change and ESG. He invests in his pers ...

The expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies at the end of 2025 has created what experts are calling the “ACA cliff,” a sharp cutoff of premium tax credits to people earning over 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). ACA reduced the cost of private health insurance for low- and middle-income earners in 2021 and it was extended through 2025. But now since its subsidies came to an end, millions of American households are now bracing for higher premiums, tougher coverage decisions, and ...

Core Viewpoint - Chip stocks experienced a rally due to expectations of increased spending on AI data centers by major companies like Amazon and Alphabet, leading to significant gains for companies such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom [1][12]. Company Performance - Nvidia's stock rose by 7.8%, Advanced Micro Devices surged 8.3%, and Broadcom climbed 7.1%, contributing to a 5.7% increase in the PHLX semiconductor index [1][12]. - CrowdStrike and Palantir both saw increases of over 4%, while the S&P 500 Software & Services index added 2.4%, ending a streak of seven consecutive sessions of losses [6][12]. - Roblox's stock rallied nearly 10% after projecting fiscal 2026 bookings above estimates, while Reddit's stock fell 7.4% despite forecasting first-quarter revenue above analysts' expectations [9][12]. Market Trends - The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed the historic 50,000 mark, with the S&P 500 climbing 1.97% to 6,932.30 points and the Nasdaq gaining 2.18% to 23,031.21 points [7][12]. - Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes rose, with information technology leading at a 4.1% increase, followed by a 2.84% gain in industrials [8][12]. - The S&P 500 energy sector index reached a record high, along with industrials and consumer staples [8][12]. Investor Sentiment - There is a noted volatility in the AI-related trade, but analysts believe there is real demand for AI products and a necessity for significant spending to support this growth [3][12]. - Over half of S&P 500 companies reported quarterly results, with approximately 80% exceeding analysts' expectations, significantly higher than the typical beat rate of about 67% [9][12].

Market Overview - U.S. equity markets experienced a rebound, with stocks rising approximately 1.7%, while small-cap stocks surged by 3.4% [1][3] - Bitcoin saw a significant increase of nearly 12%, reaching $70,000 per coin, after being about $10,000 lower the previous day [2] Sector Performance - The rotation in the market is shifting focus from large-cap tech stocks to sectors such as biotech, electronic components, airlines, trucking, and banks [3][8] - The S&P 500 and NASDAQ indices rose by almost 2%, while the Russell 2000 small-cap index outperformed with over 3% gains [3][4] Earnings Reports - 78.5% of S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, although this is a decline from previous quarters [5][6] - The mixed reactions to big tech earnings indicate ongoing market focus on these companies despite the broader market rotation [6][8] Investment Strategies - There is a growing interest in diversifying investments beyond large-cap tech stocks into small-cap and cyclical value stocks [16][78] - The market is seeing a shift towards non-U.S. equities, which have gained 7.25% year-to-date, contrasting with a 4.5% decline in concentrated tech names [78][80] Demographic Trends in Real Estate - The senior housing market is experiencing growth due to demographic trends, with a significant increase in the aging population, particularly as baby boomers turn 80 [20][24] - Ventas, a real estate trust, is focusing on acquiring senior housing properties, targeting $2.5 billion in investments, driven by strong demand and limited new construction [24][28] Prediction Markets - The rise of prediction markets is impacting traditional sports betting, with estimates suggesting they could account for about 5% of total wagers [38][42] - Interactive Brokers is positioning itself in the prediction market space, focusing on economic and environmental contracts rather than sports [50][55]

Core Viewpoint - Centene Corporation reported a fourth-quarter adjusted loss despite revenue exceeding Wall Street expectations, primarily due to high costs in the Commercial segment, leading to a more than 6% drop in shares following the announcement [1]. Financial Performance - The company recorded an adjusted loss of $1.19 per share for the quarter, which was slightly better than analyst expectations of a $1.22 loss [2]. - Revenue increased by 23% year over year to $49.73 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $48.39 billion [2]. - The consolidated health benefits ratio (HBR) rose sharply to 94.3%, compared to 89.6% in the same quarter last year [2]. Segment Analysis - The Commercial segment had an HBR of 95.4%, which was approximately 100 basis points above company expectations due to net out-of-period items [3]. - The Medicaid segment showed improvement with an HBR of 93.0%, reflecting a 40-basis-point sequential improvement from the third quarter [3]. Future Guidance - For the full year 2025, Centene reported adjusted earnings of $2.08 per share on revenue of $194.78 billion, indicating a 20% increase compared to 2024 [4]. - The company provided guidance for 2026, projecting adjusted earnings per share of more than $3.00, demonstrating confidence in its recovery efforts [4].

Key Takeaways HUM is expected to post a sharp year-over-year earnings decline in Q4 despite revenue growth of 9.2%.Humana's premium and service revenues are rising, but insurance and investment income are declining.HUM's medical membership is projected to drop 7.6% year over year, while the benefits expense ratio worsens.Humana Inc. (HUM) is set to report fourth-quarter 2025 results on Feb. 11, 2026, before the opening bell. For the to-be-reported quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate projects a loss of $4. ...

U.S. healthcare insurance provider Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) stock fell on Friday on a mixed outlook for fiscal 2026.Earnings SnapshotThe company reported a fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted loss of $1.19, beating the consensus loss of $1.22 per share, a turnaround from an income of 80 cents a year ago.Centene's sales surged from $40.81 billion to $49.73 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $48.39 billion.Centene's health benefits ratio (HBR) is 94.3%, up from 89.6% a year ago.The increase was prima ...