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Globe and Mail
29 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
TEGNA Names Brent Denny President and General Manager at WTHR in Indianapolis
TYSONS, Va., Aug. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) announced that Brent Denny has been named president and general manager at WTHR, TEGNA's NBC affiliate, and WALV, TEGNA's MeTV affiliate serving Indianapolis, effective immediately. Denny will be responsible for driving the stations' financial performance and overall business strategy and overseeing the stations' operations serving the Central Indiana community. Denny brings more than 30 years of broadcast experience to his new role. He has spent the last 11 years at WTHR/WALV in increasingly senior positions, most recently serving as director of sales. In that role, Denny has been instrumental in driving revenue growth and strengthening advertiser relationships. Previously, he served as general sales manager and national sales manager at WTHR/WALV, consistently delivering strong results through an action-oriented leadership approach. Prior to joining WTHR/WALV, Denny spent over eight years at WISH-TV/WNDY in Indianapolis, where he held multiple leadership roles including director of national and regional sales and national sales manager. During his tenure, he was directly involved in strategy, planning, forecasting and budgeting, while managing a top-performing sales team. Earlier in his career, Denny served as national sales manager at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids. 'I had the privilege of working with Brent for more than a decade in Indianapolis,' said Larry Delia, senior vice president, TEGNA. 'He has proven himself to be a tremendous talent, fostering a strong, collaborative team and building deep relationships within the community. I have no doubt he will lead WTHR/WALV with the same integrity, vision, and dedication that have defined his career.' 'I'm honored to join the team at WTHR/WALV in this new role,' added Denny. 'I look forward to upholding our legacy as Indianapolis' news leader while finding new ways to serve our community.' Denny is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts and a minor in Theatre. About TEGNA TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) helps people thrive in their local communities by providing the trusted local news and services that matter most. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA reaches more than 100 million people monthly across the web, mobile apps, connected TVs, and linear television. Together, we are building a sustainable future for local news. For more information, visit For media inquiries, contact: Molly McMahon Senior Director, Corporate Communications 703-873-6422 mmcmahon@ For investor inquiries, contact: Julie Heskett Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer 703-873-6747 investorrelations@
Globe and Mail
29 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
UNH or ELV: Which Healthcare Titan Will Regain Investor Trust First?
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated UNH and Elevance Health, Inc. ELV are two of the largest health insurers in the United States, each operating vast networks and diversified healthcare businesses. Today, both face intense headwinds: medical costs are running hotter than expected, regulatory burdens are mounting, and investors have grown uneasy after a string of disappointments. This year, each stock has seen significant declines, reflecting sector-wide uncertainty. Shares of UnitedHealth have plunged 40.7% in the year-to-date period, while Elevance declined 16%. The broader industry has slumped 31.6% during this time, while the S&P 500 Index witnessed 8.8% growth, backed by tech-related stocks. While both insurers have endured recent pressure, their operational strategies and financial resilience differ in critical ways. Let's dive deep and closely compare the fundamentals of the two stocks to determine which company is better positioned to restore investor confidence. The Case for UnitedHealth UnitedHealth remains the industry's heavyweight, with a market cap of $275.5 billion, nearly four times Elevance's $70.3 billion. Its debt profile is stronger too, with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2.03 compared to ELV's 2.47. UNH delivers insurance coverage through UnitedHealthcare and health services via Optum, integrating provider, pharmacy-benefit and analytics services. This vertical integration gives UNH strong insight and influence over cost drivers and care utilization. Its operational scale and bargaining power help it negotiate more favorable provider and pharmaceutical contracts compared to smaller players. In recent quarters, despite cost pressures, UNH has consistently generated robust cash flow, giving it the flexibility to keep investing in growth and weather downturns. That said, cracks are showing: the company lowered its outlook (even pulled it for a brief period) after missing estimates for the first two quarters of 2025. Medicare Advantage and Medicaid segments have seen margin pressure from unexpected utilization spikes, injecting near-term uncertainty. However, UNH's diversified business lines and ability to pivot through Optum's services provide it with multiple levers to respond to such volatility. The recent Amedisys acquisition extends its reach into in-home care, a move expected to curb medical costs by reducing hospitalizations. Adding to its credibility, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway recently disclosed a $1.57 billion stake of more than 5 million in UNH, as of June 30, 2025. Buffett's seal of approval often sparks a wave of copycat buying, reinforcing market confidence in the long-term story. The Case for Elevance Elevance also benefits from structural tailwinds like an aging population and expanding into government programs. Its Carelon platform is driving digital and AI-enabled solutions to personalize care, cut costs and sharpen margins, pillars of its future competitiveness. During the first half of 2025, Elevance managed to generate 15.5% growth in premiums, outpacing UNH's 12.6%. Growing memberships in ELV's Dental, Vision, Medicare Advantage and individual commercial plans should sustain this momentum. ELV is also contending with elevated medical cost trends, particularly in the ACA and Medicaid segments. This has led to an earnings miss in the second quarter of 2025, with the benefit expense ratio increasing to 88.9% from the 2024-end level of 88.5%, suggesting that a large chunk of premium revenue is going toward claims rather than profitability. For the full year, the metric is expected to hit 90%. Elevance Health, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Elevance Health, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Elevance Health, Inc. Quote By contrast, UNH's medical care ratio increased to 89.4% in the second quarter from 85.5% in 2024. We expect the metric to average at 89.4% in 2025, signalling relatively strongerprofitability. Elevance's return on capital of 10.4% is below the industry average of 12.2% and UNH's 13%. Both companies have taken shareholder-value boosting moves. In the first half of 2025, ELV returned more than $2 billion to shareholders through repurchases and dividends, while UNH returned $9.5 billion. ELV's dividend yield of 2.21% is lower than that of UNH's 2.95%. Nevertheless, Elevance's Carelon segment, which integrates physical, behavioral and social care, is growing rapidly, providing diversification benefits. Recent buyouts in home health and pharmacy services, higher CarelonRx product revenues and the scaling of innovative risk-based capabilities in Carelon Services are major positives. How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for UNH & ELV? Both companies are contending with unfavorable estimates from analysts for 2025 earnings due to the rising costs trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UNH's 2025 and 2026 EPS is pegged at $16.58 and $18.08, indicating a year-over-year decline of 40.1% and growth of 9%, respectively. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Meanwhile, the same for ELV is pegged at $30.15 and $32.19 for 2025 and 2026, signaling an 8.8% decline and 6.8% growth, respectively. All these estimates remained stable over the past week. Valuation: UNH vs. ELV Coming to the valuation story, it seems that investors are willing to pay a premium for UnitedHealth compared to Elevance. This is reflected in UNH's forward 12-month price/earnings (P/E) of 17.23X compared with ELV's 9.72X. Both are currently trading below their five-year median P/E value. Bottom Line UnitedHealth and Elevance both face steep challenges as rising medical costs, regulatory hurdles and shaken investor sentiment weigh on the entire sector. Yet, UnitedHealth has the edge thanks to its unmatched scale, diversified Optum platform, and stronger balance sheet, which provide multiple levers to manage cost pressures and sustain growth. The Amedisys acquisition further deepens its integrated care model, and Buffett's sizable stake underscores confidence in its long-term resilience. Elevance, while benefiting from Carelon's digital push and strong premium growth, still lags in profitability, debt metrics, capital efficiency and shareholder payouts. Ultimately, even though both stocks currently carry a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), UnitedHealth appears better positioned to restore confidence as the headwinds ease. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. See our %%CTA_TEXT%% report – free today! 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH): Free Stock Analysis Report Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV): Free Stock Analysis Report
CTV News
29 minutes ago
- CTV News
B.C. real estate agent fined $20K after buyer learns home is on Indigenous site
A Vancouver Island real estate agent will pay a $20,000 penalty for misconduct after failing to investigate if an oceanfront home was on an Indigenous archaeological site. It was. And only after the deal closed did the buyer discover they were on the hook for thousands of dollars in unexpected permitting costs, plus hourly fees to hire archaeologists and Indigenous representatives, every time they wanted to dig a hole on the property. ADVERTISEMENT The listing was one of seven residential properties in the Qualicum Beach area that agent Candice Svrta showed the buyer, who was looking for a waterfront plot where they could either renovate an existing home or build a new one. The buyer eventually settled on the property in question, telling Svrta they planned to renovate the manufactured home that was already on site, according to details of the purchase agreement laid out in a disciplinary consent order between the agent and the B.C. Financial Services Authority. The purchase agreement was drawn up by Svrta in July 2018 and presented to the seller's agent. The contract did not include any clauses related to the property being in an archaeologically sensitive area, according to the financial services regulator. The seller provided a property disclosure statement that was crossed out and void of details except for the comment: 'We do not live here full time,' according to the consent order. Three weeks later, the buyer and seller added an addendum to the purchase agreement, knocking $5,000 off the sale price due to septic inspection results, for a final sale price of $645,000, according to the regulator. The sale was completed in August 2018, but once the deal was finalized, the buyer inquired with the regional district government and learned the property was, in fact, on an archaeological site of historic importance to the area's Indigenous people. 'As a result, (the buyer) faced increased costs to alter the property, including $3,500 for a permit each time to excavate, and $125 per hour each for an archaeologist and a First Nations representative to standby for the duration of an excavation,' according to the disciplinary decision. Two years later, the buyer sued Svrta and Pemberton Holmes Ltd., claiming civil damages in B.C. Supreme Court. The lawsuit was settled privately in December 2023, according to the regulator, which had by then initiated its own investigation to confirm whether the agent had made any inquiries about the archaeological sensitivity of the property. No records of an inquiry were found, constituting a failure to take adequate steps to discover and disclose whether the property was situated on a protected archaeological site, according to the regulator. The financial services authority's investigation confirmed with the Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations that the property was on an archaeological site that is protected under the Heritage Conservation Act and 'must not be damaged or altered without a provincial heritage permit' from the ministry's archeology branch, according to the order. A disciplinary hearing on Svrta's conduct was scheduled for early this year, resulting in a consent agreement signed by the agent and the regulator on Aug. 6. Under the terms of the agreement, Svrta and her personal real estate corporation (Svrta PREC), were found 'jointly and severally liable to pay a discipline penalty to the BCFSA in the amount of $20,000 within three months.' The agent will also pay $1,500 in enforcement expenses to the regulator. Svrta was also instructed to register and complete, at her own expense, the Real Estate Trading Services Remedial Education Course through the University of B.C.'s Sauder School of Business, according to the agreement. Failure to comply with the consent order can result in the suspension or cancellation of the agent's real estate licence without further notice, the regulator said. The B.C. Real Estate Services Act requires licensed agents to act in the best interests of their client, act honestly with reasonable care and skill, and make all reasonable efforts to discover relevant facts about a property their client is considering acquiring. The regulator's investigation found that Svrta, who also uses the name Candi Drath, 'committed professional misconduct within the meaning' of those sections of the law. Svrta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the disciplinary decision. Under the terms of the consent order, the agent is barred from making any public statements the regulator deems inconsistent with the decision. According to the Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations, there are more than 62,000 known archeological sites in B.C., 90 per cent of which are of First Nations origin. The most common examples of such sites include the remains of ancient villages or cemeteries, tool-manufacturing sites, fishing weirs, rock art and shell middens.
