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. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (
LH) pushed the Health Services industry lower today making it today's featured Health Services laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.7%. By the end of trading, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings fell $1.11 (-1.1%) to $97.42 on average volume. Throughout the day, 1,013,268 shares of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 778,500 shares. The stock ranged in price between $97.05-$98.91 after having opened the day at $98.48 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $98.53. Other companies within the Health Services industry that declined today were:
American Shared Hospital Services (
AMS), down 8.5%,
Spherix (
SPEX), down 7.7%,
Organovo Holdings (
ONVO), down 7.1% and
American Caresource Holdings (
ANCI), down 5.2%.
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as an independent clinical laboratory company worldwide. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings has a market cap of $9.0 billion and is part of the health care sector. Shares are up 13.7% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there is 1 analyst that rates Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings a buy, 2 analysts rate it a sell, and 11 rate it a hold.
TheStreet Ratings rates
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings as a
buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.
On the positive front,
Stereotaxis (
STXS), up 21.5%,
Harvard Bioscience (
HBIO), up 8.2%,
UnitedHealth Group (
UNH), up 6.5% and
Alliance HealthCare Services (
AIQ), up 6.5% , were all gainers within the health services industry with
Thermo Fisher Scientific (
TMO) being today's featured health services industry leader.
For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the health services industry could consider
Health Care Select Sector SPDR (
XLV) while those bearish on the health services industry could consider
ProShares Ultra Short Health Care (
RXD).
STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. Learn more.
