$9B spent on private for-profit staffing in Ontario hospitals: report
An undated image of the exterior of a hospital building in Ontario. (File photo/CTV News)
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Globe and Mail
26 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Insider Buying and Options Surge Spark Bullish Interest in UnitedHealth (UNH)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is drawing attention from traders after a spike in call option activity and notable insider buying. Despite the stock being down nearly 40% year-to-date, a weaker-than-expected Q1 earnings report, and a softer outlook, recent activity suggests growing confidence in a potential recovery. Confident Investing Starts Here: Heightened Activity Signals Bullish Sentiment On Thursday, more than 162,000 call options were traded on UNH. That's a 29% jump compared to the stock's typical daily call volume of around 126,000. This level of activity often reflects bullish expectations from traders anticipating upward price movement. Insiders are also showing conviction. On May 14, Director John H. Noseworthy purchased 300 shares at an average price of $312.16. Six days later, CEO Stephen Hemsley bought 86,700 shares at an average of $288.57 per share, totaling over $25 million. In total, insiders have acquired 109,408 shares over the past 90 days, worth approximately $31.6 million. Insider buying of this scale often signals confidence in long-term value. Institutional investors have also been increasing their exposure to these assets. Vanguard, Wellington Management, and Norges Bank all added to their positions last quarter. Institutional ownership now stands at 87.9%, highlighting continued support from long-term holders. Stock Rebounds Slightly as Fundamentals Show Mixed Signals The stock closed Friday at $303.22, up 2.49% on the day. It remains far below its 52-week high of $630.73 and just above the recent low of $248.88. At current levels, UNH has a market cap of about $275 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.11, and a dividend yield of 2.84%. The company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $2.21 per share. UnitedHealth posted Q1 revenue of $109.6 billion, slightly below consensus estimates. Earnings per share came in at $7.20, missing expectations of $7.29. While analysts still expect full-year EPS of $29.54, several firms have lowered their price targets in response to the softer results and rising sector concerns. Options market data reinforces the bullish tilt. The put/call ratio is 0.48, indicating more call buying than put buying. This ratio suggests traders are positioning for a potential rebound in the near term. In summary, while UnitedHealth continues to face pressure from weaker earnings and macroeconomic headwinds, the surge in call option activity, insider buying, and strong institutional support indicate renewed investor interest. Is UNH a Good Stock to Buy Right Now? According to The Street's analysts, UnitedHealth is a Moderate Buy. The average UNH price target is $369.73, implying a 21.93% upside. See more UNH analyst ratings Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue
CBC
37 minutes ago
- CBC
Electronic obsession: researchers say problematic smartphone use like an addiction
Social Sharing Anita Hagh couldn't stop pressing the corner of her phone screen where the Facebook app used to be. It was about five years ago, and she had deleted the social media platform from her cellphone. It was like muscle memory, she says, having clicked on the app countless times so she could scroll for hours through random online groups. She realized she had been losing out on sleep while scrolling and made the difficult decision to delete the app. "After deleting it, I was very much thinking it was still there, kind of like a phantom limb situation," said the 28-year-old post-doctoral researcher at McGill University's department of integrated studies in education. Bad habits Hagh, who is researching the addictive nature of social media, said she believes she was likely experiencing what's called "problematic smartphone use" or phone addiction. Jay Olson, a post-doctoral researcher in the University of Toronto's psychology department, led a 2023 global study that surveyed more than 50,000 people about their smartphone habits. He said it's an emerging problem. "Normal smartphone use would become problematic when it starts negatively affecting your daily life and in different ways," said Olson. "It might make you feel depressed. It might be interfering with your sleep or your concentration." WATCH | Addicted to your phone? Addicted to Your Phone? 8 years ago Duration 22:32 Some young adults are showing symptoms of problematic smartphone use, Olson said, as they've never seen a world without phones or have spent most of their lives with the devices. "Smartphones started to become more popular around 2009," he said. "A bunch of kids across the world got these phones. And so now we're starting to see what some of these effects might be." It's harder for older generations to understand the magnitude of the problem and how using phones can become an ingrained habit, Olson added. "[They] haven't grown up using smartphones and social media for the majority of their free time throughout the day," he said. 'Harder to trace' Venture Academy, a private school for troubled teens with locations in Barrie, Ont., and Red Deer, Alta., offers treatment for problems including "electronic addiction." Gary Su, a clinical therapist with the school, said in an interview from Calgary that smartphone use has made the lives of many of his young clients more complex. "We are seeing a very unique phenomenon," he said. "Things seem to be a lot more volatile or more extreme. Kids are exposed to things just way too early for their age. And it's harder to trace, because everything online is anonymous." He said some students are using their phones so much they have difficulty socializing. Some don't leave their bedrooms for hours, because they're busy texting after school, he said. Su said phones stop others from spending time with their families, and online bullying has become rampant. Some are also sharing intimate photos and details at an earlier age, which continues to haunt them years later due to the permanent nature of the online world, he said. "I see a lot of family just come in because of phone addiction or problematic phone use," Su said. "I feel for the parents. Most of us are not tech geniuses." WATCH | Expert warns of mental health 'explosion' linked to technology: Expert warns of mental health 'explosion' linked to technology 8 years ago Duration 0:39 Problematic smartphone use hasn't been officially classified as an addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the reference book used by mental health professionals around the world. "There isn't consensus among researchers right now," said Olson, adding it's because the problem is so new. However, he said there is some agreement that problematic smartphone use shares similarities with different behavioural addictions. "So often people report this compulsion, like when they wake up, they have to check their phone right away," Olson said. "They can't stop themselves." Su said some of his patients could be classified as phone addicts. "Addiction is when you are doing something that you know has negative consequences and you can't stop yourself from using it," he said. "I see a lot of youth I work with fit in that category. I tend to not label it, because labelling is not doing any good." Olson said there needs to be more discussion about smartphone habits. Cellphone bans in schools across Canada are a good start, Olson added, but more needs to be done by governments, such as putting age limits on social media platforms. "I certainly think that it's an important contributor to this decline in mental health that we're seeing," he said. Hagh said she's keeping track of her phone habits, as she's still on social media for her research. "It is very addicting. These platforms have been optimized to capture as much attention ... and arguably create an addiction. "It's kind of like having to watch a train crash or a car crash," she added. "You just can't look away."
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Innospera Pharma Appoints Dr. Glenn Crater as Chief Medical Officer to Support Advancement of ING-006 Toward the Clinic
Article content MONTREAL — Innospera Pharma Inc. ('Innospera'), a private, near-clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing differentiated small molecule modulators of GPR84 and GPR40 to treat inflammatory and metabolic diseases, today announced the appointment of Dr. Glenn Crater, MD, FCCP as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Glenn will start immediately as a fractional CMO, with the commitment to joining full time as the Company's lead compound reaches the clinic. Article content Dr. Crater brings to Innospera over 25 years of clinical, regulatory, and leadership experience in pulmonary medicine and drug development. A board-certified pulmonologist, Dr. Crater has played pivotal roles in advancing respiratory drug candidates, with particular expertise in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) — the initial target indication for Innospera's lead compound, ING-006, which is poised to enter clinical development in the near future. Article content 'We are thrilled to welcome Glenn to Innospera at this critical moment in our growth,' said François Ravenelle, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Innospera. 'Having worked closely with Glenn at Inversago Pharma, I've witnessed first-hand his commitment to scientific rigor, clinical excellence, and patient impact. His deep understanding of IPF and drug development will be invaluable as we initiate clinical studies for ING-006 and build a pipeline of novel GPR84/GPR40 modulators.' Article content Prior to joining Innospera, Dr. Crater served as Chief Medical Officer at multiple biotechnology companies and held senior medical leadership positions across both private and public firms, contributing to successful regulatory submissions and clinical programs in respiratory and fibrotic diseases. Article content 'I'm excited to reunite with François and the team at Innospera,' said Dr. Crater. 'ING-006 represents a promising new approach to modulating inflammation and fibrosis via GPCR lipid signaling. I look forward to advancing this program in the clinic and working to deliver transformative therapies for patients living with IPF and related diseases.' Article content About Innospera Pharma Article content Article content Article content
