Dow Industrials Hit First Intraday High of 2025, Powered by UnitedHealth Shares
UnitedHealth, the Dow's biggest laggard since early April, jumped 12% on Friday after a filing showed that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway BRK.B -0.42%decrease; red down pointing triangle took a roughly $1.6 billion position in the healthcare company during the second quarter. UnitedHealth stock remains down 40% for the year.
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Forbes
a few seconds ago
- Forbes
Intel Stock's Biggest Ally: Washington?
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has surged nearly 20% over the past week to levels of about $24.50 a share. So what's been fueling the gains? Earlier this month, President Trump had urged CEO Lip-Bu Tan to step down over his past ties with China. But the narrative flipped last week after a highly positive White House meeting, with Trump later calling Tan's "amazing story" emblematic of the American dream. What's more, reports now suggest the Trump Administration is considering taking a direct stake in Intel, underscoring its strategic importance. So why Intel? Unlike rivals that rely heavily on Asian foundries to produce their chips, Intel still maintains considerable U.S. manufacturing capacity. That makes it the only realistic domestic player to drive the U.S. government's increasing push toward re-shoring semiconductor production, which it sees as a crucial national security priority. Intel's core CPU business has been steadily losing ground to AMD in PCs and servers, while Nvidia has seized the AI market with its GPUs. However, a deal with Washington wouldn't just inject much-needed capital for Intel, which could be used to speed up Intel's repeatedly delayed Ohio mega fabrication unit. An investment would also bring a high level of credibility that could pull in more private capital and drive investor confidence. We've seen this playbook before as the Trump Administration took a $400 million preferred equity stake in rare-earth minerals player MP Materials. (What's Happening With MP Materials Stock?) Investors are betting Intel could be the next beneficiary of that same tailwind. So how are Intel stock's fundamentals looking at this point? Our analysis of Intel along key parameters of Growth, Profitability, Financial Stability, and Downturn Resilience shows that the company has a weak operating performance as detailed below. That said, if you seek upside with lower volatility than individual stocks, the Trefis High Quality portfolio presents an alternative, having outperformed the S&P 500 and generated returns exceeding 91% since its inception. How Does Intel's Valuation Look vs. The S&P 500? Going by what you pay per dollar of sales or profit, INTC stock looks cheap compared to the broader market. • Intel has a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 1.9 vs. a figure of 3.3 for the S&P 500 How Have Intel's Revenues Grown Over Recent Years? Intel's Revenues have fallen over recent years. • Intel has seen its top line decline at an average rate of 11.2% over the last 3 years (vs. increase of 5.5% for S&P 500) • Its revenues have decreased 4.0% from $55 Bil to $53 Bil in the last 12 months (vs. growth of 5.5% for S&P 500) • Also, its quarterly revenues fell 0.4% to $13 Bil in the most recent quarter from $13 Bil a year ago (vs. 4.8% improvement for S&P 500) How Profitable Is Intel? Intel's profit margins are much worse than most companies in the Trefis coverage universe. • Intel's Operating Income over the last four quarters was $-4.1 Bil, which represents a very poor Operating Margin of -7.8% • Intel's Operating Cash Flow (OCF) over this period was $10 Bil, pointing to a moderate OCF Margin of 19.5% (vs. 14.9% for S&P 500) • For the last four-quarter period, Intel's Net Income was $-19 Bil - indicating a very poor Net Income Margin of -36.2% (vs. 11.6% for S&P 500) Does Intel Look Financially Stable? Intel's balance sheet looks fine. • Intel's Debt figure was $50 Bil at the end of the most recent quarter, while its market capitalization is $102 Bil (as of 8/15/2025). This implies a poor Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 52.5% (vs. 19.4% for S&P 500). [Note: A low Debt-to-Equity Ratio is desirable] • Cash (including cash equivalents) makes up $21 Bil of the $192 Bil in Total Assets for Intel. This yields a strong Cash-to-Assets Ratio of 10.9% How Resilient Is Intel Stock During A Downturn INTC stock has fared worse than the benchmark S&P 500 index during some of the recent downturns. Worried about the impact of a market crash on INTC stock? Our dashboard How Low Can Stocks Go During A Market Crash captures how key stocks fared during and after the last six market crashes. Inflation Shock (2022) • INTC stock fell 63.3% from a high of $68.26 on 9 April 2021 to $25.04 on 11 October 2022, vs. a peak-to-trough decline of 25.4% for the S&P 500 • The stock is yet to recover to its pre-Crisis high • The highest the stock has reached since then is $50.76 on 27 December 2023 and currently trades at around $24 Covid Pandemic (2020) • INTC stock fell 34.8% from a high of $68.47 on 24 January 2020 to $44.61 on 16 March 2020, vs. a peak-to-trough decline of 33.9% for the S&P 500 • The stock is yet to recover to its pre-Crisis high Global Financial Crisis (2008) • INTC stock fell 56.8% from a high of $27.98 on 6 December 2007 to $12.08 on 23 February 2009, vs. a peak-to-trough decline of 56.8% for the S&P 500 • The stock fully recovered to its pre-Crisis peak by 26 March 2012 Putting The Pieces Together Intel's low valuation, reasonably stable balance sheet, and potential tailwinds from a better relationship with the Trump Administration are positives, while the company's recent revenue contraction and weak margins remain a concern. While you would do well to be cautious with INTC stock for now, you could explore the Trefis Reinforced Value (RV) Portfolio, which has outperformed its all-cap stocks benchmark (combination of the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 benchmark indices) to produce strong returns for investors. Why is that? The quarterly rebalanced mix of large-, mid- and small-cap RV Portfolio stocks provided a responsive way to make the most of upbeat market conditions while limiting losses when markets head south, as detailed in RV Portfolio performance metrics.
Forbes
a few seconds ago
- Forbes
Tax Breaks: The Scammers And Schemers Are Upping Their Fraud Game Edition
Scams are becoming more sophisticated. getty What could be worse than getting scammed? Getting scammed twice. The FBI is warning about a new scam involving fraudsters posing as lawyers representing fictitious law firms. Using social media or other messaging platforms, scammers offer their services, claiming to have authority to investigate fund recovery cases. To verify the contact, the "lawyers" say they are working with, or have received information on, the scam victim's case from the FBI, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), or other government agency. In some cases, scam victims have reached out to fraudsters on fake websites, which look legitimate, in hopes of recovering their funds. Then, they ask for payment or additional personally identifiable information that can be used to trick victims a second time. The FBI urges folks to be cautious and remember the common fraud prevention refrain—if in doubt, assume it's a scam. It's true that scams are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and widespread. Nasdaq's Global Financial Crime Report estimates that scams and fraud added up to $485.6 billion per year in projected losses with U.S. victims taking a beating: the U.S. ranks second globally for major fraud losses. So, what's driving the upticks? A recent survey conducted by BioCatch, a global company focused on solving digital identity challenges through examining behavioral biometrics, aimed to offer clarity. One of the reasons may be that while U.S. banks may trust technology, they don't trust each other—there's no meaningful sharing of information. That's a break from behaviors abroad where statistics suggest that when banks in other countries share at scale, their losses are decreasing. (Part of the reluctance to share information may come from consumers. While 32% of those surveyed in the U.S. consider data privacy regulation as one of the main inhibitors to sharing data with other banks, 30% worry about the potential for misuse. These numbers are higher than global averages.) As scammers develop new schemes to steal money and information from consumers, the commitment to fraud prevention must evolve even faster. Understanding what kinds of scams are spreading and how they operate, as well as the roles that consumers, law enforcement, and financial institutions can play in mitigation and prevention, are all key. That means that education will continue to be a big part in stopping scammers. In another scam, the fraudster (aware of U.S. retirement accounts and rollover rules) nudges the individual to withdraw retirement funds for purposes of making an investment. The selling point from the scammer is that the investor can transfer the funds back to a retirement account tax-free within the applicable 60-day window for retirement account rollovers. Unfortunately, in many instances, the criminal takes the funds and disappears, leaving the victim with a huge loss and even more massive tax headache. The IRS has granted extensions of the 60-day rollover period where taxpayers were the victims of fraudulent schemes. However, taxpayers interested in requesting relief through a private letter ruling (PLR) should recognize the request is not an easy one, requiring the taxpayer to submit a litany of information to the agency to review whether the taxpayer satisfies the 'equity and good conscience' exception. Taxpayers who have withdrawn funds from retirement accounts due to fraud sometimes have options under the federal income tax laws–if you find yourself in that unfortunate situation, talk to a tax professional. Retirement account laws can be notoriously difficult to navigate at the best of times, but for the millions of former U.S. persons living abroad, understanding the tax implications of U.S. retirement accounts is critical. That's because IRAs, Roths, and SEPs remain tethered to U.S. tax rules long after you give up U.S. status. Withholding taxes, U.S. estate tax exposure and the harsh 'covered expatriate' tax regime are often overlooked until the time for planning has passed. U.S. citizens and green card holders who are contemplating giving up U.S. status need to be proactive in their tax planning to preserve hard-earned wealth–understanding the tax treatment of retirement accounts can help avoid unintended tax consequences. And that's a wrap on tax news for this week–but keep reading for more good stuff, including our fraud-focused tax trivia question. Enjoy your weekend, Kelly Phillips Erb (Senior Writer, Tax) Questions Does it cost money to e-file? getty This week, a reader asks: My tax preparer told me that the IRS charges a fee for e-filing. Is that true? No, that's not true. The IRS doesn't charge a fee for e-filing your federal income tax return. That doesn't mean that it won't cost you extra. Many online tax preparation software programs like TurboTax or TaxAct may charge you a fee to e-file, depending on the type of software you use and the complexity of your tax returns (simple returns may be filed for free). Your tax preparer may be charged a fee by a processor, which they may opt to pass along to you either as a stand-alone cost or as part of the overall cost of your tax return. However, the IRS does not charge your tax preparer a fee for e-filing. If you're looking for fully free e-filing options, you can use IRS Free File or Direct File. Free File is an existing program offered as part of a public-private partnership between the IRS and Free File Inc., formerly the Free File Alliance. Through this partnership, tax preparation and filing software providers make their online products available to eligible taxpayers. That means that you can prepare and e-file your federal taxes for free. Direct File also allows eligible taxpayers to file taxes directly with the IRS online for free. With Direct File, some of your information, like your employment and wage information from your Form W-2 (if it's available), can be transferred directly to your tax return. You can also get access live support from IRS staff, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. But that option won't be around for long—the controversial program is expected to be eliminated after this year. Do you have a tax question that you think we should cover in the next newsletter? We'd love to help if we can. Check out our guidelines and submit a question here. Statistics, Charts, and Graphs Over the past few years, the IRS has worked to improve access and availability of taxpayer services. As part of these efforts, the agency installed stand-alone booths—called kiosks—in Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) beginning in 2011. The services available from the kiosks, which are supposed to be connected to a computer, are the same as those that you'd normally see on the IRS website. These kinds of services may not normally be easily available to taxpayers in rural and underserved communities since taxpayers in these communities may not have access to a computer, printer, or the internet at home. The kiosks would be a great idea—if they worked. In April 2024, TIGTA found that the IRS had 100 kiosks located at 37 TACs. Of those, only 55 kiosks were operational. Of the remaining kiosks, 40 were inoperable, and the status of five was unknown. Additionally, TAC managers at 11 locations reported that the kiosks were not connected to a working printer, which prevented taxpayers from printing tax forms or other documents. When a kiosk becomes inoperable or encounters issues that cannot be resolved with basic troubleshooting, the TAC manager submits a service ticket to the third-party contractor. And then… they wait. TIGTA found that the time needed to close service tickets ranged from 30 days or less to 463 days (most took between 151-365 days to resolve), while 24 tickets were open (meaning the contractor did not perform work on these tickets). How long do third-party service tickets stay open at IRS? Kelly Phillips Erb After those findings were revealed last year, the IRS indicated the plan was to work with the existing contractor to make the kiosks operational by December 31, 2024. However, in January 2025, TIGTA visited eight TACs with inoperable kiosks and found the machines were still not working. When TIGTA brought those concerns to the agency, the IRS said it was discontinuing the kiosk program. According to TIGTA, 'While we support the IRS's decision to discontinue the current kiosk program, we believe that offering taxpayers a self-service option could be beneficial as the IRS reduces and restructures its workforce.' (The IRS workforce dropped from 103,000 employees in January 2025 to approximately 77,000 in May 2025, a 25% reduction.) In response, TIGTA recommended that the IRS perform a study to determine whether a new kiosk program that uses updated technology or deploys laptops to TACs would provide effective and efficient self-service options to taxpayers. IRS management agreed with the recommendation and indicated that it will assess the potential benefits and challenges of introducing a new program designed to offer modern self-assistive solutions for taxpayers. A Deeper Dive State and local taxes (SALT) are hot right now. getty State and local taxes (SALT) are hot right now–it's no wonder that tax controversy firm Kostelanetz recently included it in a list of tax practice areas keeping them busy. State and local governments are feeling stretched in the current economic climate, and rather than ride the coattails of federal audits, they are increasingly digging in on their own investigations to raise revenues. According to Kostelanetz partner Caroline Ciraolo, that may be made easier by an infusion of talent—as the federal government workforce and some private sector jobs shrink, state and local governments are seizing the opportunity to pick up those employees. The growth in SALT tax law may be helped along by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The SALT cap featured prominently in discussions before the law was passed. The House SALT Caucus originally pushed for the cap to be increased from $10,000 to $40,000, but Senate Republicans were concerned with the overall cost of the bill, and advocated for keeping the cap at $10,000 and using it as a pay-for to offset other tax cuts. The result is that the SALT cap was raised to $40,000 for single and joint filers. The deduction phases out for filers with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) above $500,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing separately), and reverts to $10,000 for incomes of $600,000 and above. The deduction and the phase-out levels will increase by 1% a year until 2029, when the cap reverts back to the original $10,000. And, under OBBBA, passthrough entities (PTE) that were taking advantage of the states' workaround are still able to do that–those workarounds allow PTE owners to sidestep the cap. However, in a recent case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected arguments by several states who challenged updated regulations that would prohibit many of the SALT workarounds passed in the wake of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The quintessential example of these workarounds was the creation of a state charitable fund (or a local version of the same), which could accept payments from residents, who would then receive a state or local tax credit. In 2018, the IRS issued proposed rulemaking to disallow the charitable-deduction workaround. In essence, the proposed rule required that taxpayers would have to reduce their federal charitable deduction for the amount of any state or local tax credit received 'in consideration for the taxpayer's payment or transfer.' The final rule made some tweaks, and the states launched a legal challenge. On appeal, the Second Circuit had to address several issues in addition to the substantive tax merits, including an allegation that the Final Rule was contrary to §170 of the tax code. The crux of §170 as it applies to charitable contributions is that the taxpayer cannot receive a quid pro quo—because, if so, then the payment does not really represent a contribution or a gift. In other words, to the extent a taxpayer receives a benefit that is commensurate with the payment, it really isn't a gift. The Second Circuit reasoned, among other things, that the argument from the states misstates the quid pro quo principle (meaning that it was not the taxpayer's desire to claim the § 170 deduction that was disqualifying, but rather it was the receipt of the state tax credit). The result? The Second Circuit sided with the federal government, finding that the Final Rule was neither arbitrary nor capricious. Tax Filings And Deadlines 📅 September 15, 2025. Third quarter estimated payments due for individual taxpayers. 📅 September 30, 2025. Due date for individuals and businesses impacted by recent terrorist attacks in Israel. 📅 October 15, 2025. Due date for individuals and businesses affected by wildfires and straight-line winds in southern California that began on January 7, 2025. 📅 November 3, 2025. Due date for individuals and businesses affected by storms in Arkansas and Tennessee that began on April 2, 2025. Tax Conferences And Events 📅 August 26-September 16 (various dates), 2025. IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in New Orleans, Orlando, Baltimore and San Diego. Registration required (discounts available for some partner groups). 📅 September 17-18, 2025. National Association of Tax Professionals Las Vegas Tax Forum. Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Registration required. 📅 Sept. 26-27, 2025. National Association of Tax Professionals Philadelphia Tax Forum. Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Registration required. Trivia NEW YORK - JANUARY 5: Bernard Madoff (C) walks out from Federal Court after a bail hearing in Manhattan January 5, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by) Getty Images The Bernie Madoff scandal is considered the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. After he pleaded guilty to fraud charges, how long was his prison sentence? (A) 25 years (B) 50 years (C) 100 years (D) 150 years Find the answer at the bottom of this newsletter. Positions And Guidance The IRS Identity Protection PINs, also referred to as IP PINs, are a critical defense tool against identity thieves. As part of its Security Summit, the IRS encourages taxpayers to enroll in the IP PIN program. There are no new stimulus checks from the IRS. Several news outlets have picked up an outdated story about stimulus checks to suggest that "new" checks are coming from the IRS. Those news stories are confusing the timeline for the older stimulus checks. Earlier this year, the IRS mailed checks to those who missed the RRC in 2021 (returns filed in 2022, for stimulus checks related to COVID). It wasn't new—it was intended to help folks who failed to get their stimulus check in 2021 or 2022. If you didn't get one then, and the IRS didn't catch it, you could have filed to claim it, but that window closed months ago, in April. (FWIW, the IRS confirmed that most taxpayers received their check). Noteworthy Atlanta-based law firm Wiggam Law has added Mark Mesler as senior counsel. Mesler brings experience in tax controversy, IRS practice and procedure and high-stakes tax resolution for corporations and high-net-worth individuals. Loeb & Loeb has announced the arrival of Natan Leyva to the firm's Washington, DC office. Leyva advises on domestic and international matters, including M&A, financing and capital markets transactions, with deep experience in U.S. federal tax rules governing international and cross-border deals. KPMG LLP announced its next national line of business and sector leaders. The newly named line of business leaders include Manish Madhavani (Financial Services), Chris Marston (Government & Healthcare), Dave Neuenhaus (Asset Management & Private Equity, Heather Rice, (Products) and Chad Seiler (Technology, Media and Telecom). The national sector leaders are Frank Albarella (Media & Telecommunications), Drew Corrigan (Healthcare), Todd Fowler (Energy, Natural Resources and Chemicals), Andy Gottschalk (State, Local and Education), Brian Higgins (Industrial Manufacturing), Cecil Mak (Technology), Kristin Ciriello Pothier (Life Sciences), Duleep Rodrigo (Consumer & Retail), Yesenia Scheker-Izquierdo (Asset Management), Peter Torrente (Banking & Capital Markets), Sean Vicente (Insurance) and Don Zambarano (Private Equity). Detroit City FC's new stadium will pay property taxes, according to the club's CEO, Sean Mann. AlumniFi Field will be located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street before the 2027 season begins. The $150 million stadium will seat 15,000 spectators. 'It's a true civic endeavor that puts our values into action in the most sizable way to date so far,' said Mann. 'And with that, I'm proud to say, this will also be the only privately owned, privately financed stadium in Detroit, meaning it's the only pro stadium that pays property taxes.' Detroit's other major sports stadiums, including Ford Field, are owned by local government agencies and are not required to pay property taxes. — If you have tax and accounting career or industry news, submit it for consideration here or email me directly. In Case You Missed It Here's what readers clicked through most often in the newsletter last week: You can find the entire newsletter here. Trivia Answer The answer is (D) 150 years. According to the FBI, Madoff started out as a legitimate market maker, matching potential buyers with stocks. When Madoff lost money, he created fake trades and profits to keep up the appearance that he was making money for his clients. The feds reported that at the height of the fraud, Madoff owned four homes, including a Manhattan penthouse and a home in the French Riviera. He also owned three yachts. When the markets fell, investors tried to withdraw $1.5 billion, but there was only $300 million in the bank. Eventually, the scheme unraveled and Madoff was arrested. He pleaded guilty and was convicted on March 12, 2009. On June 29, he was sentenced to 150 years in prison. He died in April 2021, just 12 years into the lengthy sentence, at the age of 82. Feedback How did we do? We'd love your feedback. If you have a suggestion for making the newsletter better, submit it here or email me directly
WIRED
a few seconds ago
- WIRED
I Tried the Best At-Home Pet DNA Test Kits on My Two Cats
If You Have a Dog, Consider These Kits I don't have a dog, so I didn't try these at-home DNA test kits for dogs, but these are the kits specifically for dogs from Basepaws and Wisdom Panel, the two companies I've tested for my cats. How Does a DNA Testing Kit Work? Pet DNA tests rely on pet owners collecting cells for testing through a cheek swab, where the sample is put into a sealed stabilizing or preserving fluid for transit. You'll mail the sample back to the lab in the prepaid envelope. It takes up to five weeks to get results. (The first time I sent my cat Basil's Basepaws sample, the company emailed that the results were inconclusive, and I had to wait for another kit to be sent, re-swab him, and wait another five weeks for results.) At the lab, the sample is analyzed against the company's breed and genetic health database. They use single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays—the standard technology used to identify breed ancestry—as well as various inherited traits and risk of common diseases. Essentially, different breeds have distinct patterns of SNPs in their genomes, which act as the genetic markers. These tests analyze the pet's DNA sample for specific SNPs and then compare them to the company's existing database to estimate the composition of breed types in the animal. This not only tells you about breed composition, but can also identify the specific DNA sequences that are markers for potential health risks, like predispositions to diseases or hereditary cancers. Don't take the health or DNA test results as absolute truth, however. 'This can lead to a false sense of security or false alarms," says veterinarian Amanda Chambers. Forward your results to your veterinarian and always follow up with scheduling a visit to the vet if your pet is marked as a carrier for any genetic disease. Limitations of At-Home DNA Test Kits After chatting with Jamie Richardson, head of veterinary medicine at Small Door Veterinary, I've found that these are the major areas of limitations with at-home DNA test kits: Results depend on the size/diversity of the genetic database Most kits test known markers only—not full genomes Feline data is less developed Misinterpretation of results can lead to unnecessary concern How Accurate Is At-Home DNA Testing? Wisdom Panel claims its breed results for cats are over 98 percent accurate and that tests for dogs are over 99 percent accurate. I've outlined the results below, so you can see the disparity in results from the two kits I tested, particularly with breed ancestry. One problem with the vast disparity in results is that the two companies have different sample sizes and metrics for identifying breeds. But the biggest issue for cat owners taking these at-home DNA tests is that you can't really identify most cats' breeds the way you can with dogs. Unless your cat is a purebred, around 95 percent of cats don't belong to a recognized breed. Cats' genetic backgrounds are muddied—they're just similar mixes with different physical characteristics, so the tests only show the breed(s) they share the most markers with. Basically, these tests for cats aren't able to reliably tell us about breed composition, just similarity to other breeds' traits in the company's data pool. From my research, it seems the breed identification part of these tests is more accurate for dogs, as dog DNA is so much more diversified. Breeds have been clearly defined after centuries of diversifying from other breeds, and dog DNA mutates quickly, with genes changing quickly after just a few generations. Cats are not much different from their Egyptian ancestors. Interestingly, in this report from CBS in 2023, the news organization sent dog and human DNA to different at-home test companies and got various results, ranging from 65 to only 29 percent German shepherd DNA for the dog. The human DNA results were attributed to a bulldog, border collie, and cane corso mix. TL;DR There isn't one catch-all way to determine a pet's genetic makeup or ancestry. Humans like categories. And breeds are essentially human constructs, based on the way the dog or cat looks. The genetic part of the test is fun, but take it with a grain of salt—especially with cats. Ancestry Results If you read above, you know that there's a significant disparity in results based on the pool the sample is compared against. For example, below are the results I got for my cat Clover, who's a dilute calico with long, white fur and visually looks most like a Maine coon or Norwegian forest cat. (I also tested my run-of-the-mill gray cat Basil, but he was almost entirely 'American domestic cat' and 'polycat/domestic shorthair'—basically the mutt final boss, a result of many generations of mixed breeding between different types of cats, where ancestry and origin is almost impossible to determine.) Health Results Wisdom Panel tests for 49 genetic health predispositions by comparing the pet's DNA against a panel of cat or dog genetic health checks. It tests for the top five genetic conditions that could impact the pet's vet visits—essentially, the most common conditions that are seen in cats or dogs with a similar breed makeup as your pet. These are for things like drug sensitivity, immune deficiency, and bleeding disorders. They also identified the cat's blood type (both of my cats were A) and transfusion risk (both were moderate). Basepaws tests for up to 115 health markers, but my cat received results for only 44 genetic diseases (owners are encouraged to check results often in case missing markers are added as more data becomes available). This list felt more in-depth than the Wisdom Panel test, testing genes for markers against disorders in musculoskeletal and connective tissue; eyes; metabolic, autoimmune, and endocrine systems; blood; and more. Both of my cats, Clover and Basil, were cleared as having none of the genes that mark them as potential carriers of genetic diseases. It also identified blood type and transfusion risk, which were A and moderate (the same results I got with Wisdom Panel's test). If your pet gets flagged for any of these results, don't panic. 'The presence of a certain gene does not always mean a patient will develop a certain disorder that is associated with that gene—it just means they're at higher risk of it. I would encourage owners to reach out to their veterinarian if they have questions after receiving the results of a DNA test,' says Chambers. Oral Health Results Wisdom Panel doesn't screen for oral health, which is a huge problem in many pets, and can lead to tooth extraction and bigger health issues. Oral health was a concern for me, and Basepaws tests for oral health by testing against an oral microbiome database. In this regard, Basepaws wins out. According to the Basepaws results, Clover was a low risk for periodontal disease and tooth resorption, but at a high risk of halitosis. The report said bad breath could be indicative of a larger health issue, but she was cleared for disease, so I wasn't sure what to do with that information. Courtesy of Molly Higgins My other cat, Basil, was at high risk for all the dental markers mentioned above, and Basepaws came up with a health plan for him: 'adopt a daily oral healthcare routine, consider supplementing Basil's routine with products accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council, and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian in the next month.' Courtesy of Molly Higgins Although I was alarmed at the results, I liked that Basepaws gave me recommended next steps so I could come up with a plan of action for care. And it's important to remember that these results don't necessarily mean a pet is guaranteed to develop the disease. "These can be a helpful flag for your veterinarian to keep an eye on [...] but does not necessarily mean aggressive testing is needed at that moment,' says Richardson. 'DNA tests are tools to support—not replace—veterinary care.' Traits Results Both of the tests had this section, which tests for coat color traits and variants, but I found it mostly useless. Wisdom Panel's assertions of both cats' physical traits were correct. But with Basepaws, Clover, a dilute calico, was marked as being likely black in color. I can see with my eyes what my cat(s) look like, but if you're a genetic nerd, this might be fun to see what the actual DNA reflects. A Note on At-Home Allergy Testing Kits I recently tested both of my cats for their allergies and intolerances using a similar at-home test kit, 5Strands Pet Food & Environmental Intolerance Test for $100. For this, you only need to send a fur sample in the mail to a lab; results were sent to my inbox within seven days. The report showed that both of my cats showed strong intolerances to common ingredients in their diet, like various types of fish and chicken meal. This sent me into a panic about the health and (dis)comfort of my cats. After more research, I learned that hair/fur samples are not an accurate way to measure allergies and intolerances, and studies show kits claiming to provide these results perform no better than chance and often produce inconsistent or false results. 'There's no scientific evidence to support allergy testing through hair, fur, or saliva,' says Richardson. 'Veterinarian-supervised elimination diets to test for food allergy and intra-dermal skin testing or blood tests to test for environmental allergies remain the gold standard.' So, save your money and consult a vet instead if you suspect your pet is suffering because of allergies or intolerances. Compare Our Top Picks Meet the Experts
