Nyse Order Imbalance 125466.0 Shares On Buy Side

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after a Politico report revealed that the White House plans to pitch a two-year extension of Obamacare subsidies. The proposal would extend subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, with new eligibility limits for individuals with incomes up to 700% of the federal poverty line. These subsidies, a key part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), help lower the cost of health insurance for consumers, making them crucial for insurers focused on the ACA marketplace. An extension would likely support sustained enrollment, securing a key revenue stream for these companies.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Health Insurance Providers company Alignment Healthcare jumped 6.5%. Is now the time to buy Alignment Healthcare? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Healthcare Technology for Patients company Hims & Hers Health jumped 6.2%. Is now the time to buy Hims & Hers Health? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Outpatient & Specialty Care company Surgery Partners jumped 4.5%. Is now the time to buy Surgery Partners? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Testing & Diagnostics Services company Guardant Health jumped 4.6%. Is now the time to buy Guardant Health? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Specialized Medical & Nursing Services company Pediatrix Medical Group jumped 3%. Is now the time to buy Pediatrix Medical Group? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Alignment Healthcare (ALHC)

Alignment Healthcare’s shares are very volatile and have had 23 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 3 days ago when the stock gained 4.4% on the news that comments from a key Federal Reserve official bolstered hopes for an interest rate cut. New York Federal Reserve President John Williams stated he sees “room for a further adjustment” in the near term, sparking a significant market rally. Following his remarks, the probability of the central bank cutting rates at its December meeting jumped from 39% to over 73%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. This positive sentiment provided relief to markets amid concerns over high valuations, particularly in AI-related stocks.

Alignment Healthcare is up 54.5% since the beginning of the year, but at $17.86 per share, it is still trading 9.7% below its 52-week high of $19.78 from April 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Alignment Healthcare’s shares at the IPO in March 2021 would now be looking at an investment worth $1,032.

As the Q3 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the healthcare providers & services industry, including Pediatrix Medical Group and its peers.

The healthcare providers and services sector, from insurers to hospitals, benefits from consistent demand, generating stable revenue through premiums and patient services. However, it faces challenges from high operational and labor costs, reimbursement pressures that squeeze margins, and regulatory uncertainty. Looking ahead, an aging population with more chronic diseases and a shift toward value-based care create tailwinds. Digitization via telehealth, data analytics, and personalized medicine offers new revenue streams. Nonetheless, headwinds persist, including clinical labor shortages, ongoing reimbursement cuts, and regulatory scrutiny over pricing and quality.

The 40 healthcare providers & services stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Pediatrix Medical Group

With a network of approximately 2,620 affiliated physicians caring for some of the most vulnerable patients, Pediatrix Medical Group provides specialized physician services focused on neonatal, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology and other pediatric subspecialty care across 37 states.

Pediatrix Medical Group reported revenues of $492.9 million, down 3.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.2%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales and EPS estimates.

“Our operating results for the third quarter exceeded our expectations and were driven by a combination of reimbursement-related factors, including strong collection activity, higher patient acuity and slightly favorable payor mix, as well as operational consistency,” said Mark S. Ordan, Chief Executive Officer of Pediatrix Medical Group.

Interestingly, the stock is up 36.2% since reporting and currently trades at $23.11.

Is now the time to buy Pediatrix Medical Group? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Guardant Health

Pioneering the field of "liquid biopsy" with technology that can identify cancer-specific genetic mutations from a simple blood draw, Guardant Health develops blood tests that detect and monitor cancer by analyzing tumor DNA in the bloodstream, helping doctors make treatment decisions without invasive biopsies.

Guardant Health reported revenues of $265.2 million, up 38.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 12.6%. The business had an incredible quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and full-year revenue guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Guardant Health delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 47% since reporting. It currently trades at $106.25.

Is now the time to buy Guardant Health? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Brookdale

With a network of over 650 communities serving approximately 59,000 residents across 41 states, Brookdale Senior Living operates senior living communities across the United States, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities.

Brookdale reported revenues of $813.2 million, up 3.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 19% since the results and currently trades at $10.85.

Read our full analysis of Brookdale’s results here.

NeoGenomics

Operating a network of CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified laboratories across the United States and United Kingdom, NeoGenomics provides specialized cancer diagnostic testing services, including genetic analysis, molecular testing, and pathology consultation for oncologists and healthcare providers.

NeoGenomics reported revenues of $187.8 million, up 11.9% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also logged EPS in line with analysts’ estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 9.2% since reporting and currently trades at $11.47.

Read our full, actionable report on NeoGenomics here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Elevance Health

Formerly known as Anthem until its 2022 rebranding, Elevance Health is one of America's largest health insurers, serving approximately 47 million medical members through its network-based managed care plans.

Elevance Health reported revenues of $50.71 billion, up 12.4% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The company lost 252,000 customers and ended up with a total of 45.37 million. The stock is down 9.8% since reporting and currently trades at $319.26.

Read our full, actionable report on Elevance Health here, it’s free for active Edge members.