HealthSpring a value from the bottom up
Posted on November 12, 2009 at 12:20 pmThe analysts at Zacks say Franklin-based HealthSpring scores well on a screen that emphasizes cash flow. The health insurer (Ticker: HS) is on track to spin off more than $150 million in cash from operations this year.
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EMS signs transportation agreement with HealthSpring
Posted on October 1, 2009 at 7:30 amEmergency Medical Services Corp. (Ticker: EMS) announced three medical transportation and transportation management agreements through its American Medical Response division, including a deal with HealthSpring (Ticker: HS). Colorado-based AMR will provide non-emergency transportation management services to HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plan members through its Access2Care division. Combined, the three deals are worth $8 million to $9 million in annual revenue.
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HealthSpring’s prospects ‘flat at best’
Posted on September 30, 2009 at 1:38 pmDave Shove at BMO Capital Markets has downgraded shares of managed-care insurers, including Franklin-based HealthSpring, saying the policy reform-related trade is worn out and that the industry “faces a number of headwinds as it enters 2010.”
“Flat cost trend is a best case scenario for most players in 2010, while government premiums are likely stretched thin. Depressed membership will drag on managed care earnings. We do not expect a return to meaningful commercial enrollment growth until 2011. Investment income, once a driving force of earnings, is likely to be net neutral.”
HealthSpring shares (Ticker: HS) are down more than 6 percent this afternoon. Shove now rates them ‘market perform’ and sees them going to $10.
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Stop scaring seniors
Posted on September 23, 2009 at 2:31 pmThe folks at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are reminding Medicare plan providers to choose their words wisely. This week, after Humana (Ticker: HUM) sent a letter to its Medicare Advantage plan customers warning that health reform could mean the loss of benefits for seniors, CMS sent a letter to all Medicare plan providers. According to a HealthSpring (Ticker: HS) spokesperson, the memo “reminds them about some of the regulations related to communicating about health care reform to members.”
We’re betting part of the letter also says something along the lines of, “Oh, and no gloating about the fact that this big debate seems to be going nowhere right now.”
Money manager: Look for HealthSpring to surprise
Posted on September 22, 2009 at 7:52 amGeorgia-based investment manager Zach Scheidt says investors worried about HealthSpring’s rising medical losses should instead look at the company’s cash pile and growing market as more powerful catalysts. He sees the stock (Ticker: HS) almost doubling in the coming year.
Assuming flat physician fees over the next 12 months, and relatively conservative enrollment levels, the company should maintain stable profitability in 2010. It seems that the expectations are a bit overly conservative and any pleasant surprises could quickly lead to margin expansion. I think that at some point over the next 12 months, we should see the stock reach a multiple of 12 which would represent a price of $26.
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A new plan for Fritch
Posted on August 31, 2009 at 7:17 amHealthSpring CEO Herb Fritch has signed on for a new 10b5-1 trading plan to gradually trim his stake in the health insurer (Ticker: HS). The shares must be sold above $14.02.
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Locals’ shares pop on profit news
Posted on August 4, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Shares of Brookdale, Gaylord and LP are up more than 16 percent after reporting second-quarter profits that topped analysts’ expectations. HealthSpring investors appear a little concerned about the company’s rising medical loss ratio.
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HealthSpring may struggle with the rest
Posted on July 8, 2009 at 7:53 amSeekingAlpha blogger thinks shares of health insurers will likely fall today due to lingering uncertainty over President Obama’s health reform bill which yesterday bounced back and forth between requiring and not requiring a public plan.
Health insurers’ stock prices are likely to fall Wednesday. Most of them rose smartly Tuesday on news that President Obama would accept a health bill without a public option health plan.
But not only did the left get to Obama and force him to reassert his demands for a public option health plan, or Government HMO, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) that the health bill must include the Government HMO.
Both Obama and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, look silly and weak. They’ve been rolled by their hard left base once again. And it might and should kill their health insurance reform bill, which really isn’t a reform bill but an inflationary health care spending bill that would cost trillions over the next 5, 10 and 20 years.
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HealthSpring pops on upgrade
Posted on May 18, 2009 at 8:43 amShares of the Franklin-based health insurer (Ticker: HS) are up 12 percent in early trading after Wachovia analyst Matthew Perry upgraded them to ‘outperform,’ saying concerns about lower Medicare reimbursement rates are overdone.
“HS has the lowest cost structure in the industry and has successfully operated under lower reimbursement in the past – giving us confidence that the company can adapt once again.”
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Upgrade lifts HealthSpring some more
Posted on March 18, 2009 at 8:43 amBMO Capital Markets has raised its rating on HealthSpring from ‘underperform’ to ‘market perform’ and adjusted its price target to $8. Shares of the Franklin-based health insurer (Ticker: HS) are up 6 percent in the first few minutes of trading. The AP has more.
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Another nice day for HealthSpring
Posted on March 12, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Yes, the shares (Ticker: HS) are still not even back to where they began the month, but a chart like this is a start. Reaffirming earnings guidance also helps.
Also check out Brookdale (Ticker: BKD), whose investors are enjoying a similar pattern this week.
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HealthSpring sticking to ‘09 forecast
Posted on March 11, 2009 at 9:00 amThe Franklin-based insurer, whse shares have been among those to suffer due to concerns over the Obama administration’s health care plans, says it still expects to earn between $2 and $2.20 per diluted shares this year. The stock (Ticker: HS) is up more than 11 percent in early trading.
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Be patient with HealthSpring
Posted on March 5, 2009 at 1:05 pm
And by patient, Barrons.com’s Johanna Bennett means waiting a month or so, until after President Obama’s budget gets finalized and the market knows just how much Medicare Advantage insurers will be reimbursed. Shares of HealthSpring (Ticker: HS) and their peers have been have been hammered – and are taking more blows today – as all signs point to a cut in payment rates.
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Health care stocks rally, O’Charley’s not so much
Posted on March 4, 2009 at 1:28 pmOn a day when health care names are helping lead the broader market higher, a number of Nashville-area stocks are outperforming the sector’s ETF. (Ticker: XLV) Leading the way are HealthSpring (Ticker: HS) and Psych Solutions (Ticker: PSYS), which are up 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, after having taken a beating in the last week or so.
On the flip side, shares of O’Charley’s (Ticker: CHUX) are down more than 10 percent and headed for the all-time lows from last December.
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HealthSpring inks back-office deal
Posted on at 9:07 amThe Franklin-based health insurer (Ticker: HS) has teamed up with Argus Health on the handling of Medicare drug payments and other administrative services.
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