Core Insights - The Zacks Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry is experiencing a significant shift towards digital healthcare, driven by rising demand for telemedicine and AI-powered services, particularly due to an aging global population and increasing healthcare costs [1][4][9]. Industry Overview - The industry includes companies providing outpatient care and home healthcare services, utilizing advanced medical technologies for diagnosis and treatment. The sector has shown steady growth post-pandemic, supported by innovation and the shift towards value-based care models [3][6]. - The global home healthcare market was valued at $390.24 billion in 2023, with an expected CAGR of approximately 7.9% from 2024 to 2030 [1]. Major Trends - **Aging Population**: The growing elderly population is a primary driver for home healthcare services, increasing the demand for chronic disease management and rehabilitation [4]. - **Cost Effectiveness**: Outpatient clinics offer cost-effective care, supported by financial incentives from health plans and government programs [5]. - **AI Integration**: AI is enhancing healthcare delivery, with outpatient companies utilizing automated systems for better patient outcomes and efficiency [7]. - **Technological Advancements**: Virtual assistants and chatbots are becoming integral in patient care, aiding in appointment scheduling and medication compliance [8]. Challenges - **Staffing Shortages**: The U.S. healthcare sector faces significant staffing shortages, particularly among home health aides, exacerbated by high burnout rates [10]. - **Tariff Impact**: New U.S. tariffs have increased costs for imported medical supplies, straining home healthcare providers and leading to operational challenges [11]. Market Performance - The industry has outperformed its sector but underperformed compared to the S&P 500, gaining 6.8% over the past year versus the S&P 500's 12.1% gain [14]. - The industry is currently trading at a forward P/E of 19.8X, lower than the S&P 500's 22.3X [18]. Notable Companies - **Quest Diagnostics**: Expected revenue growth of 9.2% for 2025, with a strong return on equity (ROE) of 15.1% [22][23]. - **Encompass Health**: Anticipated revenue growth of 9.5% for 2025, with an ROE of 17.6% [25][26]. - **The Pennant Group**: Projected revenue growth of 23.3% for 2025, with an ROE of 10.7% [29][30]. - **DaVita**: Expected revenue growth of 5.2% for 2025, with a notably high ROE of 176.1% [33][34].

Company Overview - Encompass Health (EHC) is currently outperforming the Medical sector, gaining approximately 30.7% year-to-date, while the sector has lost an average of 4.2% [4] - The company holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions and improving earnings outlooks [3] Industry Performance - Encompass Health is part of the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which consists of 17 individual stocks and is currently ranked 37 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - The average gain for stocks in this industry is 4.8% year-to-date, highlighting EHC's superior performance within its specific industry [6] Comparative Analysis - Another stock in the Medical sector that has shown strong performance is EUROFINS SCIENT (ERFSF), which is up 32.7% year-to-date and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The Medical Services industry, to which EUROFINS SCIENT belongs, is ranked 67 and has experienced a decline of 0.6% year-to-date, contrasting with EHC's performance [6]

Investors interested in Medical stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has atai Life Sciences N.V. (ATAI) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Medical sector should help us answer this question. atai Life Sciences N.V. is a member of our Medical group, which includes 997 different companies and currently sits at #7 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the st ...

Investors interested in Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare stocks are likely familiar with Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN) and U.S. Physical Therapy (USPH) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets c ...

Group 1 - Encompass Health (EHC) is a strong performer in the Medical sector, with a year-to-date return of approximately 30.3%, significantly outperforming the sector average loss of 3.5% [4] - The Zacks Rank for Encompass Health is 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook and strong analyst sentiment, with earnings estimates having increased by 4.4% in the past quarter [3][4] - The Medical sector consists of 998 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of 6, reflecting the average performance of stocks within this sector [2] Group 2 - Encompass Health operates within the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which includes 17 stocks and has a Zacks Industry Rank of 39, with an average gain of 4.9% this year [6] - Another notable stock in the Medical sector is Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN), which has achieved a 15% increase year-to-date and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5][6] - Both Encompass Health and Elanco Animal Health are highlighted as stocks to watch for continued solid performance in the Medical sector [7]

Company Performance - atai Life Sciences N.V. has returned 81.2% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the average loss of 3.4% in the Medical sector [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for atai Life Sciences N.V.'s full-year earnings has increased by 0.8% over the past three months, indicating improved analyst sentiment [4] - atai Life Sciences N.V. currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), suggesting a favorable earnings outlook [3] Industry Comparison - atai Life Sciences N.V. is part of the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which has gained approximately 5.1% year-to-date, indicating that atai is performing better than its industry peers [6] - In contrast, Novartis, another outperforming stock in the Medical sector, has increased by 21.3% year-to-date and belongs to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, which has seen a decline of 1.1% [5][6] - The Medical sector ranks 5 in the Zacks Sector Rank, which includes 16 different groups ranked by the average Zacks Rank of individual companies [2]

Company Overview - Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN) is currently experiencing significant activity in the options market, particularly with the Jan 16, 2026 $3.00 Call option showing high implied volatility, indicating potential for a major price movement [1] Market Sentiment - The high implied volatility suggests that investors are anticipating a significant price change for Elanco Animal Health shares, which could be driven by an upcoming event [2][4] - Analysts have a mixed outlook on Elanco, with the company holding a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which is in the top 26% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] Earnings Estimates - Over the past 60 days, there have been no increases in earnings estimates for the current quarter, while six analysts have lowered their estimates, resulting in a decrease of the Zacks Consensus Estimate from earnings of 25 cents per share to 20 cents [3]

Company Overview - Atai Life Sciences N.V. (ATAI) currently holds a Momentum Style Score of A, indicating strong potential for momentum investing [3] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), suggesting it is positioned for outperformance in the market [4] Price Performance - ATAI shares have increased by 18.71% over the past week, significantly outperforming the Zacks Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which rose by 1.81% during the same period [6] - Over the past month, ATAI's stock price has risen by 32.03%, compared to the industry's 2.96% [6] - In the last quarter, ATAI shares increased by 22.42%, and over the past year, they gained 23.93%, while the S&P 500 experienced a decline of -2.55% and a modest increase of 11.45%, respectively [7] Trading Volume - The average 20-day trading volume for ATAI is 1,976,396 shares, which serves as a bullish indicator when combined with rising stock prices [8] Earnings Outlook - In the past two months, three earnings estimates for ATAI have been revised upwards, while none have been lowered, leading to an increase in the consensus estimate from -$0.75 to -$0.60 [10] - For the next fiscal year, two estimates have moved upwards, while one has been revised downwards [10] Conclusion - Given the strong price performance, positive earnings outlook, and high Momentum Style Score, ATAI is recommended as a solid momentum pick for investors [12]

Investors interested in Medical stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Amedisys (AMED) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Amedisys is one of 997 companies in the Medical group. The Medical group currently sits at #5 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual ...

Group 1 - atai Life Sciences N.V. (ATAI) is outperforming its peers in the Medical sector with a year-to-date return of approximately 43.6%, while the average return for Medical companies is -6.3% [4] - The Zacks Rank for atai Life Sciences N.V. is 2 (Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions and improving earnings outlooks [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATAI's full-year earnings has increased by 0.8% over the past quarter, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [4] Group 2 - atai Life Sciences N.V. is part of the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which ranks 84 in the Zacks Industry Rank, and this industry has an average year-to-date return of 3.7% [6] - Cardinal Health (CAH), another stock in the Medical sector, has a year-to-date return of 29.6% and also holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The Medical - Dental Supplies industry, to which Cardinal Health belongs, is currently ranked 42 and has experienced a year-to-date decline of -1% [7]