These Buffett stocks could easily beat the market over the next 12 months.Sure, Warren Buffett has passed the torch as Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A +0.96%) (BRK.B +1.35%) CEO to Greg Abel. However, I still view all of the stocks currently in Berkshire's portfolio as Buffett stocks. They were all either personally picked by the legendary investor or by someone else operating under his watchful eye.Quite a few of the stocks Berkshire Hathaway owns are good picks right now. Here are three Buffett stocks to buy ...

Core Insights - The stock market has experienced significant volatility in January, particularly affecting major healthcare insurers due to news regarding Medicare reimbursement rates [1] Group 1: Industry Impact - Major healthcare insurers, including UnitedHealth Group, have seen their stock prices shaken by recent developments in Medicare reimbursement rates [1] Group 2: Analyst Background - Gary Alexander, with extensive experience in technology and healthcare sectors, has been a contributor to Seeking Alpha since 2017 and has provided insights on industry trends [1]

Back to Market on Close. I'm Marley Kaden alongside Sam Bodis in New York. Healthc care stocks the worst performers in the S&P 500.Today for more on the sector and why we're seeing so much downward pressure. Joining us now, David Tongue, the senior analyst in healthcare at Argust Research. David, thank you so much for being with us.You know, we've got this announcement on the new proposed rate for Medicare Advantage. Following that, we saw about $90 billion in market cap get wiped from the healthcare insura ...

Core Viewpoint - The ongoing lawsuit against Humana Inc. involves allegations of securities law violations, particularly regarding the company's assurances about healthcare demand and profitability amidst rising medical costs due to pent-up demand following COVID-19 restrictions [2][3]. Group 1: Lawsuit Background - A Humana investor filed a lawsuit in June 2024, claiming that the company misled investors about the impact of pent-up demand for healthcare services on its financial performance [2]. - The lawsuit alleges that Humana downplayed the pressures on its adjusted EPS from increased medical costs, contrary to its assurances that there was no significant pent-up demand affecting utilization rates [2]. Group 2: Legal Proceedings - A consolidated amended complaint was filed on November 20, 2024, and the defendants submitted a motion to dismiss the complaint on April 24, 2025 [3]. - Investors who purchased shares of Humana Inc. prior to July 2022 are encouraged to contact the Shareholders Foundation for potential options related to the lawsuit [1][3].

Market Overview - The S&P 500 has increased by 17% over the past year and 2.5% over the past month, currently surpassing the 6,950 mark with 7,300 as a potential target [1] - A rotation is occurring in the market, with mega-cap tech stocks cooling while overall breadth improves, indicating a shift towards more diverse growth across small caps and energy stocks [2] - Despite modest upside forecasts for the S&P 500 in 2026, rising valuation metrics and ongoing volatility may lead to selective trimming of positions [2][3] Company-Specific Insights Tesla (TSLA) - Tesla shares are currently trading at $440, down approximately 9% over the last month, facing rising price pressures and increased competition, particularly from BYD in China [4] - Deliveries fell by about 8.6% year-over-year, and the Cybertruck is underperforming in sales volume [4] - Major fund managers, including ARK Innovation ETF, are reducing their Tesla holdings, indicating a lack of confidence in the stock's future performance [4] GE HealthCare Technologies (GEHC) - GE HealthCare Technologies is trading at $82 per share, with sales in China declining by approximately 11% and 18% year-over-year in the first and second quarters of 2024, respectively [6] - The company has been downgraded by UBS due to competitive pressures and risks from rising generics that are not fully priced in [6] - Despite a steady dividend payout of 0.18%, the stock faces limited upside and increased competition in the medical technology market [8] UnitedHealth (UNH) - UnitedHealth shares are trading at less than $340, down 34% over the past year, primarily due to rising medical costs and a significant drop in Medicaid margins projected to decline from -0.1% in 2025 to -1.8% in 2026 [9] - The company has faced management challenges, including curbing earnings guidance and scrutiny over diagnosis practices, leading to increased uncertainty [10] - Analysts suggest selling UNH shares until clearer visibility on its performance emerges [10]

Core Viewpoint - Guizhou Province has been continuously deepening its medical insurance system reform, focusing on people's health and creating a multi-layered medical security network that covers all citizens, reduces out-of-pocket expenses, and enhances access to healthcare services [4][6]. Group 1: Medical Insurance Reform - The implementation of family pooling for personal medical insurance accounts allows family members, including extended relatives, to share medical expenses, improving the efficiency of insurance fund usage [5]. - The establishment of a comprehensive database for universal insurance coverage has maintained over 41 million insured individuals, with reimbursement rates for inpatient care at approximately 83% for employee insurance and 73% for resident insurance [6]. Group 2: Accessibility and Convenience - The introduction of a "mobile medical insurance station" service model allows village doctors to visit patients at home, facilitating immediate medical insurance settlements [5]. - The integration of artificial cochlear implants into the medical insurance reimbursement system has significantly reduced the cost of the devices from nearly 300,000 yuan to under 50,000 yuan, making them more accessible for families of hearing-impaired children [7]. Group 3: Efficiency in Medical Services - The province has implemented a "one person, one file" system for insurance registration, enhancing the quality and coverage of insurance [6]. - The transition to a prepayment and immediate settlement model for basic medical insurance has reduced the reimbursement processing time from 30 working days to just 1 working day [8]. Group 4: Digital Transformation - The development of a multi-channel, integrated service system for medical insurance has enabled 39.6 million people to activate their insurance codes, with over 10,925 medical institutions offering "face-scan payment" options [10]. - The implementation of a drug traceability system, where each medication has a unique traceability code, has improved transaction efficiency and customer satisfaction in pharmacies [9]. Group 5: Future Directions - The Guizhou medical insurance department plans to continue deepening reforms, enhance the multi-layered insurance system, and promote provincial-level coordination of basic medical insurance to improve the public's sense of security and satisfaction with medical insurance services [10].

Core Insights - Cigna Group (CI) is a major player in the insurance industry, with a market cap of $74.6 billion, offering a range of insurance products including life, accident, disability, supplemental, Medicare, and dental insurance [1] Financial Performance - Analysts anticipate that Cigna will report a profit of $7.90 per share for Q4 2025, reflecting a 19% increase from $6.64 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full fiscal year, Cigna's EPS is expected to be $29.63, an 8.4% increase from $27.33 in fiscal 2024, with a further rise to $30.56 projected for fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - Cigna's stock has underperformed compared to the S&P 500 Index, which gained 16.9% over the past 52 weeks, while Cigna's shares only increased by 1.7% during the same period [4] - The stock also lagged behind the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund, which returned 13% in the same timeframe [4] Market Concerns - Investor concerns regarding Cigna's pharmacy-benefit management (PBM) business model have contributed to its underperformance, particularly due to a planned shift to a no-rebate pricing model by 2027 and the repricing of major contracts worth $90 billion in annual revenue, raising fears of transition risk and margin compression [5] Recent Earnings Report - On October 30, Cigna's shares fell over 17% despite reporting Q3 results that included an adjusted EPS of $7.83, surpassing Wall Street's expectations of $7.70, and adjusted revenue of $69.6 billion, exceeding the forecast of $67.2 billion [6] - Cigna expects its full-year adjusted EPS to be $29.60 [6] Analyst Ratings - The consensus opinion among analysts is bullish, with a "Strong Buy" rating overall; out of 23 analysts, 17 recommend a "Strong Buy," 2 suggest a "Moderate Buy," 3 give a "Hold," and 1 recommends a "Strong Sell" [7] - The average analyst price target for Cigna is $326.05, indicating a potential upside of 16.8% from current levels [7]

Group 1 - Boeing led the industrial sector with a gain of approximately 0.6% following a significant U.S. Air Force contract worth about $8.5 billion for fighter jets [2][4] - Molina Healthcare saw a notable increase of around 2.5% after positive investor commentary from Michael Burry, a well-known investor [2][4] - AXT, a semiconductor company, experienced a substantial rise of 8.29%, indicating strong performance in the semiconductor sector [2] Group 2 - OceanFirst Financial's stock dropped by 6.7% after announcing a merger agreement and a new strategic investment partner, highlighting volatility in the banking sector [5] - The overall market showed mixed breadth, with some sectors outperforming while others faced declines, reflecting a shift in investor sentiment towards economically sensitive areas [3][5] - The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all experienced slight declines, indicating a quiet trading day as the year-end approached [1][3]

Core Insights - UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its strategy to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in healthcare administration [1][2] - The company faces challenges in AI adoption, including regulatory scrutiny regarding data privacy and algorithmic bias, necessitating a balance between innovation and compliance [3][4] AI Integration and Benefits - UNH is utilizing AI to automate processes such as claims handling, prior authorizations, fraud detection, and customer support, which traditionally involve repetitive tasks leading to delays and errors [2][8] - The scale of UNH allows it to leverage extensive datasets from insurance, pharmacy, and care delivery to develop effective AI models and standardize processes [3][8] Competitive Landscape - Major competitors in AI-enabled healthcare solutions include Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV) and Humana Inc. (HUM), both of which are also focusing on automating administrative processes to enhance efficiency [5][6] Financial Performance - UNH's stock has declined by 35.8% over the past year, compared to a 29.6% decline in the industry [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18.63, which is above the industry average of 15.48, and has a Value Score of A [9] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNH's 2025 earnings is projected at $16.30 per share, indicating a 41.1% decrease from the previous year [10]

Core Viewpoint - Leverage Shares by Themes is expanding its offerings in the single-stock leveraged ETF market with the launch of seven new products aimed at traders seeking amplified exposure to individual equities [1]. Group 1: New Product Launches - The new ETFs will begin trading on December 18 and are designed to deliver 200% of the daily performance of their underlying stocks, making them suitable for short-term trading rather than long-term investment [2]. - The new launches cover various sectors, including technology, health care, energy, and materials, indicating a strong demand for targeted leverage on popular stocks [3]. - The lineup includes: - Leverage Shares 2X Long NIO Daily ETF (NASDAQ:NIOG) focused on Nio Inc [3] - Leverage Shares 2X Long SNAP Daily ETF (NASDAQ:SNAG) linked to Snap Inc [3] - Leverage Shares 2X Long BIDU Daily ETF (NASDAQ:BIDG) for Baidu Inc [4] - Leverage Shares 2X Long CNC Daily ETF (NASDAQ:CNCG) tracking Centene Corp [4] - Leverage Shares 2X Long KLAC Daily ETF (NASDAQ:KLAG) associated with KLA Corp [4] - Leverage Shares 2X Long PBR Daily ETF (NASDAQ:PBRG) tied to Petrobras [5] - Leverage Shares 2X Long VALE Daily ETF (NASDAQ:VALG) focused on Vale SA [5]. Group 2: Market Positioning - All seven ETFs have an expense ratio of 0.75%, which is among the lowest in the single-stock leveraged ETF category, making them cost-efficient options for sophisticated traders and active retail investors [5]. - With these new additions, Leverage Shares by Themes now offers a total of 60 single-stock daily leveraged ETFs, reflecting the increasing demand for high-conviction, short-term trading instruments [6].