The Medical group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Medical peers, we might be able to answer that question.Elanco Animal Health Incorporated is a member of the Medical sec ...

Investors in Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec 19, 2025 $2.50 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. ...

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.While many investors like to look for momentum i ...

Core Viewpoint - DaVita HealthCare's recent earnings report indicates a mixed performance, with revenues increasing year-over-year but adjusted earnings per share falling short of estimates, leading to questions about future trends and stock performance [2][11]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share for Q3 2025 were $2.51, down 3.1% year-over-year, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 23.7% [2]. - GAAP EPS for the quarter was $2.04, reflecting an 18.4% decline year-over-year [2]. - Revenues reached $3.42 billion, a 4.8% increase year-over-year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.5% [3]. - Revenue per treatment was $410.6, up 4.1% year-over-year and 1.5% sequentially [3]. Revenue Breakdown - Dialysis patient service revenues amounted to $3.29 billion, a 5.1% increase year-over-year, while other revenues were $122.1 million, down 2.3% from the previous year [4]. Treatment and Patient Metrics - Total U.S. dialysis treatments for Q3 were 7,242,725, averaging 91,680 per day, which is a 0.4% decrease sequentially [5]. - As of September 30, 2025, DaVita served approximately 293,200 patients across 3,247 outpatient dialysis centers [5]. Operational Changes - During Q3 2025, DaVita opened three dialysis centers and closed three in the U.S., while acquiring 58 and closing nine centers internationally [6]. Profitability and Margins - Gross profit decreased by 2.2% year-over-year to $1.09 billion, with a gross margin contraction of 230 basis points to 31.8% [7]. - Adjusted operating profit was $517 million, down 3.4% from the prior year, with an adjusted operating margin of 15.1%, a decrease of 130 basis points [7]. Financial Position - DaVita ended Q3 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $736.5 million, slightly down from $739.4 million at the end of Q2 [9]. - Total debt was $10.25 billion, marginally lower than $10.26 billion at the end of Q2 [9]. - Cumulative net cash from operating activities was $1.35 billion, down from $1.47 billion a year ago [9]. Share Repurchase - In Q3 2025, DaVita repurchased 3.3 million shares for $465 million [10]. Guidance and Estimates - The adjusted earnings per share outlook for 2025 has been revised to a range of $10.35-$11.15, down from the previous guidance of $10.20-$11.30 [11]. - Consensus estimates have trended upward, with a 19.15% shift due to recent changes [12]. Industry Context - DaVita operates within the Zacks Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, where competitors like Quest Diagnostics have shown positive performance, with a 7.9% gain over the past month [15].

The Medical group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Tactile Systems Technology (TCMD) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Tactile Systems Technology is one of 947 individual stocks in the Medical sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #3 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from ...

Company Overview - Apogee Therapeutics Inc. (APGE) is part of the Medical group, which consists of 951 companies and currently ranks 4 within the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The company is classified under the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, which includes 469 companies and is ranked 78 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, Apogee Therapeutics has returned approximately 25.3%, significantly outperforming the Medical sector's average return of 2.1% [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APGE's full-year earnings has increased by 0.2% over the past quarter, indicating improved analyst sentiment and a stronger earnings outlook [4] Comparison with Peers - Aveanna Healthcare (AVAH), another stock in the Medical sector, has shown a year-to-date return of 95.8% and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, to which Aveanna belongs, is currently ranked 65 and has returned +6.8% this year [7] - In contrast, stocks in the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, including Apogee, have gained an average of 12.8% this year, indicating that APGE is performing better than its industry peers [6]

Core Insights - Astrana Health, Inc. reported quarterly earnings of $0.01 per share, significantly missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.47 per share, representing an earnings surprise of -97.87% [1] - The company posted revenues of $956.05 million for the quarter ended September 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.61%, and showing a substantial increase from $478.71 million year-over-year [2] - Astrana Health, Inc. has not surpassed consensus EPS estimates over the last four quarters, indicating a trend of underperformance in earnings expectations [2] Financial Performance - The earnings for the previous year were $0.33 per share, highlighting a decline in earnings year-over-year [1] - The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times in the last four quarters, indicating some strength in revenue generation despite the earnings miss [2] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.45 on revenues of $978.65 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.24 on revenues of $3.2 billion [7] Market Position - Astrana Health, Inc. shares have increased by approximately 5.4% since the beginning of the year, underperforming compared to the S&P 500's gain of 15.6% [3] - The Zacks Rank for Astrana Health, Inc. is currently 3 (Hold), suggesting that the stock is expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] - The Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, to which Astrana Health belongs, is currently ranked in the top 19% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable industry outlook [8]

Core Viewpoint - U.S. Physical Therapy (USPH) reported quarterly earnings of $0.66 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.67 per share, and showing a decline from $0.69 per share a year ago, indicating an earnings surprise of -1.49% [1] Financial Performance - The company posted revenues of $197.13 million for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.36%, and showing an increase from $168.03 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, U.S. Physical Therapy has exceeded consensus revenue estimates four times [2] Stock Performance - U.S. Physical Therapy shares have declined approximately 1.9% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [6] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.69 on revenues of $198.26 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $2.61 on revenues of $773.83 million [7] - The estimate revisions trend for U.S. Physical Therapy was mixed ahead of the earnings release, which may change following the recent report [6] Industry Context - The Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, to which U.S. Physical Therapy belongs, is currently ranked in the top 18% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8]

Core Insights - The Pennant Group, Inc. reported quarterly earnings of $0.3 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.29 per share, and showing an increase from $0.26 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +3.45% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $229.04 million for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.71% and up from $180.69 million year-over-year [2] - The stock has underperformed the market, losing about 4.7% since the beginning of the year compared to the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.31 on revenues of $273.5 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.14 on revenues of $925.9 million [7] - The estimate revisions trend for The Pennant Group was mixed ahead of the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for the stock, indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, to which The Pennant Group belongs, is currently in the top 18% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]

Core Insights - Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN) reported quarterly earnings of $0.19 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.13 per share, and showing an increase from $0.13 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +46.15% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $1.14 billion for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.28%, compared to $1.03 billion in the same quarter last year [2] - Elanco Animal Health shares have increased approximately 85.8% since the beginning of the year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for investors, as it includes current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters and any recent changes to these expectations [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the next quarter is $0.13 on revenues of $1.08 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.89 on revenues of $4.6 billion [7] Industry Context - The Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, to which Elanco belongs, is currently ranked in the top 18% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook for the sector [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors or through tools like the Zacks Rank [5][6]