5 Stocks Pushing The Health Care Sector Lower

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

Two out of the three major indices are trading lower today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading down 19 points (-0.1%) at 13,006 as of Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, 11:50 AM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,239 issues advancing vs. 1,655 declining with 129 unchanged.

The Health Care sector currently sits down 0.4% versus the S&P 500, which is down 0.1%. On the negative front, top decliners within the sector include DaVita HealthCare Partners (DVA), down 1.0%, St Jude Medical (STJ), down 1.2%, Express Scripts (ESRX), down 0.9%, UnitedHealth Group (UNH), down 0.7% and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), down 0.6%. Top gainers within the sector include Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN), up 2.3%, Fresenius Medical Care Corporation (FMS), up 1.2%, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX), up 1.2%, Sanofi (SNY), up 1.1% and Biogen Idec (BIIB), up 1.1%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the sector lower today:

5. Health Management Associates (HMA) is one of the companies pushing the Health Care sector lower today. As of noon trading, Health Management Associates is down $0.48 (-6.1%) to $7.46 on heavy volume Thus far, 7.4 million shares of Health Management Associates exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 3.8 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $7.35-$7.86 after having opened the day at $7.65 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $7.95.

Health Management Associates, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of general acute care hospitals and other health care facilities in non-urban communities in the United States. Health Management Associates has a market cap of $2.1 billion and is part of the health services industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 13.4, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 7.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there are 9 analysts that rate Health Management Associates a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 11 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Health Management Associates as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, increase in stock price during the past year and notable return on equity. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, generally higher debt management risk and weak operating cash flow. Get the full Health Management Associates Ratings Report now.

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