As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q2. Today, we are looking at health insurance providers stocks, starting with Clover Health (NASDAQ: CLOV).

Upfront premiums collected by health insurers lead to reliable revenue, but profitability ultimately depends on accurate risk assessments and the ability to control medical costs. Health insurers are also highly sensitive to regulatory changes and economic conditions such as unemployment. Going forward, the industry faces tailwinds from an aging population, increasing demand for personalized healthcare services, and advancements in data analytics to improve cost management. However, continued regulatory scrutiny on pricing practices, the potential for government-led reforms such as expanded public healthcare options, and inflation in medical costs could add volatility to margins. One big debate among investors is the long-term impact of AI and whether it will help underwriting, fraud detection, and claims processing or whether it may wade into ethical grey areas like reinforcing biases and widening disparities in medical care.

The 12 health insurance providers stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 6.7% on average since the latest earnings results.

Clover Health (NASDAQ: CLOV)

Founded in 2014 to improve healthcare for America's seniors through technology, Clover Health (NASDAQ: CLOV) provides Medicare Advantage plans for seniors with a focus on affordable care and uses its proprietary Clover Assistant software to help physicians manage patient care.

Clover Health reported revenues of $477.6 million, up 34.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with full-year EBITDA guidance beating analysts’ expectations but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

"Our performance further demonstrates how our technology-first model drives better care management, above-market growth, and sustained profitability," said Clover Health CEO Andrew Toy.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 6.5% since reporting and currently trades at $2.65.

Is now the time to buy Clover Health? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: CVS Health (NYSE: CVS)

With over 9,000 retail pharmacy locations serving as neighborhood health destinations across America, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) operates retail pharmacies, provides pharmacy benefit management services, and offers health insurance through its Aetna subsidiary.

CVS Health reported revenues of $98.92 billion, up 8.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.1%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 15.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $71.90.

Is now the time to buy CVS Health? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Slowest Q2: Oscar Health (NYSE: OSCR)

Founded in 2012 to simplify the notoriously complex American healthcare system, Oscar Health (NYSE: OSCR) is a technology-focused health insurance company that offers individual and small group health plans through its cloud-native platform.

Oscar Health reported revenues of $2.86 billion, up 29% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Oscar Health delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 21.9% since the results and currently trades at $16.85.

Read our full analysis of Oscar Health’s results here.

UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH)

With over 100 million people served across its various businesses and a workforce of more than 400,000, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) operates a health insurance business and Optum, a healthcare services division that provides everything from pharmacy benefits to primary care.

UnitedHealth reported revenues of $111.6 billion, up 12.9% year on year. This number was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a softer quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The company lost 40,000 customers and ended up with a total of 54.08 million. The stock is up 7.6% since reporting and currently trades at $303.50.

Read our full, actionable report on UnitedHealth here, it’s free.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE: MOH)

Founded in 1980 as a provider for underserved communities in Southern California, Molina Healthcare (NYSE: MOH) provides managed healthcare services primarily to low-income individuals through Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace insurance programs across 21 states.

Molina Healthcare reported revenues of $11.43 billion, up 15.7% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. Taking a step back, it was a slower quarter as it recorded a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ customer base estimates.

Molina Healthcare had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The company lost 6,000 customers and ended up with a total of 5.75 million. The stock is down 7.7% since reporting and currently trades at $176.

Read our full, actionable report on Molina Healthcare here, it’s free.

Market Update

In response to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump’s presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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