WellPoint Inc (WLP): Today's Featured Health Care Winner

WellPoint was a winner within the health care sector, rising $2.00 (2.4%) to $86.43 on heavy volume
By TheStreet Wire ,

Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link.

WellPoint

(

WLP

) pushed the Health Care sector higher today making it today's featured health care winner. The sector as a whole closed the day up 0.4%. By the end of trading, WellPoint rose $2.00 (2.4%) to $86.43 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 3,137,160 shares of WellPoint exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1,925,000 shares. The stock ranged in a price between $85.18-$87.08 after having opened the day at $85.32 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $84.43. Other companies within the Health Care sector that increased today were:

Transition Therapeutics

(

TTHI

), up 38.5%,

Ocera Therapeutics

(

OCRX

), up 32.5%,

Stereotaxis

(

STXS

), up 21.5% and

Biosante Pharmaceuticals

(

BPAX

), up 9.3%.

WellPoint, Inc., a health benefits company, through its subsidiaries, offers network-based managed care plans to large and small employer, individual, Medicaid, and senior markets in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Commercial, Consumer, and Other. WellPoint has a market cap of $25.6 billion and is part of the health services industry. Shares are up 38.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 7 analysts that rate WellPoint a buy, 1 analyst rates it a sell, and 10 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates

WellPoint

as a

buy

. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, solid stock price performance, increase in net income and attractive valuation levels. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

On the negative front,

Senesco Technologies

(

SNTI

), down 11.6%,

ImmuCell Corporation

(

ICCC

), down 10.8%,

TG Therapeutics

(

TGTX

), down 10.3% and

American Shared Hospital Services

(

AMS

), down 8.5% , were all laggards within the health care sector with

Quest Diagnostics

(

DGX

) being today's health care sector laggard.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the health care sector could consider

Health Care Select Sector SPDR

(

XLV

) while those bearish on the health care sector could consider

ProShares Ultra Short Health Care

(

RXD

).

3x UPSIDE POTENTIAL: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. Learn more.

null

Loading ...