Seeking Alpha

Seeking Alpha Portfolio App for iPad

84 people get IHF articles and Market Currents by email alert.

Get email alerts on IHF »

IHF

iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare Providers ETF

5/22/2013, 2:33 AM ET

Quote & Headlines Market Currents StockTalk

All
| Earnings
| Dividends
| M&A
| On the move

Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 7:31 AM Technicians don't like to read the papers, so Greg Harmon is looking at the action in big cap pharma stocks and it's telling him they're going to like the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare. Bristol-Myers (BMY), Eli Lilly (LLY), Merck (MRK), and Pfizer (PFE) - all yielding nearly 4% or more - are all on the verge of long-term breakouts. 2 Comments [Healthcare, Quick Ideas]
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 9:50 AM Molina Healthcare (MOH +4.4%) catches a bounce as Merrill says Texas will contract with incumbent Medicaid HMO providers for "dual eligible" individuals. Notable calls says it's good news for the big players in Texas (MOH, CNC, AGP), and suggests the news from Ohio - which caused a drubbing this week - could be an isolated data point. Comment! [Healthcare, On the Move]
Monday, April 9, 2012, 10:38 AM "The health-care system in the U.S. reminds us somewhat ominously of the bubble in housing finance," write 2 Citigroup economists, noting the government influence on both. Of health care spending rising 2.5X faster than incomes over the last 3 decades, a reader is reminded of Herb Stein's law: If something cannot go on forever, it will stop. 2 Comments [U.S. Economy, Healthcare]
Thursday, March 29, 2012, 3:24 PM The DJIA pokes its head into the green after being down nearly 100 points earlier. The S&P 500 (-0.3%) and Nasdaq (-0.3%) remain slightly negative. Leading on the upside are the health insurers as analysts conclude it's bullish if the Obamacare mandate is struck down and bullish if it's upheld. Sweet! 3 Comments [On the Move, Healthcare]
Friday, March 16, 2012, 10:21 AM Taking its signal from rising bond yields, HSBC suggests cyclicals will outperform as higher rates are a sign nominal demand is rising. The main casualties: healthcare and consumer staples. As for being a threat to the entire market, HSBC believes this is only true at real yields above 4% (they're negative now), but "a sharp rise in bond yields is a threat from whatever level." Comment! [Quick Ideas, U.S. Economy]
Thursday, January 19, 2012, 9:40 AM Defining overbought as being more than 5% above a 50-day moving average, Bespoke says 24% of tracked ETFs fit the bill. Leading the list is the homebuilders (XHB), more than 13% above its 50 day MA; Brazil (EWZ) leads the country ETFs, 8.2% above. A few more days of market gains and look for talk about the entire market being overbought. Comment! [Quick Ideas]
Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 3:03 AM Premiums are rising on healthcare deals, as drug companies scramble to secure a narrowing field of companies with viable prospects. There's a "panicky quality to deals" now, says one I-banker, and premiums may be forced even higher as competition among buyers intensifies. Comment! [Healthcare]
Saturday, December 17, 2011, 8:15 AM A major surprise, the Obama administration will allow the states to decide what treatments many insurance plans must cover under the new health car law. The decision deflects a major criticism of the plan - that it imposed a rigid, bureaucrat-controlled, one-size-fits-all standard atop the entire country (substituting it with 50 bureaucrat-controlled standards?). 35 Comments [Healthcare, U.S. Economy]
Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 10:14 AM With crude oil futures jumping 2%, energy stocks (XLE +2.4%) sprint ahead to take a strong lead in early trading, led by the likes of El Paso (EP +7.4%), Halliburton (HAL +3.2%), Hess (HES +2.5%) and Murphy Oil (MUR +2.9%). Conversely, healthcare stocks (IHF -0.9%) are the weakest sector, dragged down by Medtronic (MDT -3.2%) after its disappointing quarter. Comment! [Energy, On the Move]
Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 8:54 AM A federal judge upholds the constitutionality of the healthcare reform provision requiring individuals to maintain health coverage or pay a penalty. It's the third ruling in support of the law, following two rulings against. 1 Comment
Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 3:54 PM Healthcare stocks (ETF: IHF) are lower despite earnings beats and increased forecasts from Aetna (AET -2.8%) and WellPoint (WLP -3.7%), as the two insurers failed to provide a clear view on 2011 profits. "Nobody cares about 2010," one analyst says, but companies can't provide certainty until final healthcare reform rules are written. 1 Comment
Friday, March 19, 2010, 11:21 AM Aetna (AET +2.2%) raises its Q1 profit outlook, but quietly ahead of the impending health reform vote "when the slightest positive comment shows up in a political speech hours later." Managed care company shares are higher today, as the cloud of uncertainty begins to dissipate. In fact, BlackRock's Bob Doll foresees a rally on ObamaCare passage. (ETF: IHF) 2 Comments
Friday, February 19, 2010, 3:10 PM Sector ETF strength: Broker/Dealers– IAI +1.6%. Utilities– XLU +1.5%. Commercial Banks– KBE +1.4%. Transports– IYT +1.2%. Oil Services– OIH +1.1%.
Sector ETF weakness: Solar– KWT -3.1%. Clean Energy– PBW -1%. Agribusiness– MOO -0.5%. Healthcare Providers– IHF -0.4%. Comment!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 10:06 AM Sector ETF strength: Healthcare Providers– IHF +1.3%. Clean Energy– PBW +1.1%. Coal– KOL +1%.
Sector ETF weakness: Agriculture– DBA -0.9%. Comment!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 10:13 AM Sector ETF strength: Base Metals– DBB +3.1%. Heating Oil– UHN +2.8%. Solar– TAN +2.8%. Oil– USO +2.7%. Steel– SLX +2.4%.
Sector ETF weakness: Healthcare Providers– IHF -0.7%. Biotech– IBB -0.7%. Comment!
Friday, February 5, 2010, 10:24 AM Sector ETF strength: Real Estate– IYR +1.4%. Regional Banks– KRE +0.9%. Semis– SMH +0.6%. Commercial Banks– KBE +0.5%. Financials– IYF +0.4%.
Sector ETF weakness: Coal– KOL -2.7%. Steel– SLX -2.4%. Solar– TAN -2.3%. Silver– SLV -1.9%. Oil Services– OIH -1.9%. Healthcare Providers– IHF -1.5%. Comment!