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CTV News
2 minutes ago
- CTV News
Urban green space was a protective lifeline against COVID depression, study suggests
People enjoy a warm sunny day in a city park in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes) A new study suggests green space helped protect the mental health of city-bound Canadians during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The peer-reviewed study suggests people who lived in urban areas with more greenery were less likely to be depressed in the first months of the pandemic. Those benefits were stronger among people who were not depressed before the pandemic. Green spaces' protective lifeline was also more pronounced among people with lower incomes and mobility issues, but only for those who weren't already depressed. Lead author and Carleton University professor Paul Villeneuve says the study highlights how urban planning and mental health policy should prioritize equitable access to green space to strengthen community resilience. The study drew from more than 13,000 people 50 years and older living in urban areas who are taking part in the larger national Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025. Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
32 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
an hour ago
- CTV News
Exeter, Ont. clinic among first to provide innovative technology for women's health
A disease that impacts over one million Canadians each year, may have a new way to be diagnosed. 'It's sort of like an EKG where it's just listening to the electrical activity. An EKG would listen to the electrical activity in the heart. This will listen to the electrical activity that is in the small bowel, and it picks up a fingerprint or a very specific frequency of electrical activity that tells us endometriosis is present,' says Maria Porcellato, CEO of Alberta-based, EndoDiagnosis. Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can lead to pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and infertility or subfertility, in seven per cent of Canadian women. It's also very elusive to diagnose, taking upwards of five years in Canada for a definitive diagnosis, which typically ends in surgery to try and correct — EndoSure aims to change that. 'On average worldwide, it's 8.6 years to get into surgery and to get diagnosed. This drops it to less than an hour where women are able to get it, and it's accessible and very, very portable,' says Porcellato. Only a handful of clinics offer the new endometriosis diagnostic tool in Canada, but the Exeter Massage Therapy and Integrative Care clinic, is now one of them. exeter massage therapy - aug 2025 Exeter Massage Therapy and Integrative Care in Exeter, Ont. as seen in August. 2025. (Scott Miller/CTV News London) People that live in rural communities, don't want to go into big cities. Unfortunately that can be a big deterrent of something that could be life changing for them. And so, working to kind of break down those barriers that I see that are common with a lot of people, I think that just makes sense to me,' says the Owner/Operator of Exeter Massage Therapy and Integrative Care, Stephanie Vandenbussche. Inspired by the founder of Preventative Healthcare Awareness Month, Margarety Wallis-Duffy, Vandenbussche also offers Ostesound REMS Bone Scans, to help clients curious about whether they have Osteoporosis or not. 'We're, I guess going against the current from what everyone is normally doing. But that's how you actually create true legacy change. And at the end of the day, that is my goal, to create legacy change in our healthcare system,' says Vandenbussche, who has been a registered massage therapist for more than 20 years. Wallis-Duffy says as part of Preventative Healthcare Awareness Month, she's assembled more than 75 health care professionals across Canada to try and make preventative healthcare top of mind for patients and practitioners. 'Working better together to break down the silos, but with one mission in mind. And that's to put the everyday Canadian at the center of their care, to stock their preventative health toolbox, to improve their health esteem so they can better advocate and recognize that they're the most important member of their health care team,' says Wallis-Duffy. EndoSure - exeter - aug 2025 EndoSure is a new portable technology, being used to help diagnose endometriosis. (Scott Miller/CTV News Londno) While the EndoSure and Osteosound Bone scans are currently only offered in private clinics, Wallis-Duffy says they are working to bring both tier one tests to the publicly-funded healthcare system. 'So these types of technologies, these preventative tools that are new and not yet fully adopted by the health care community, we're doing our part to educate physicians, educate insurance companies, educate politicians, and advocate for change, because we all deserve it, and our system is strained,' says Wallis-Duffy. 'There's so many women that are suffering with endometriosis without answers, and with laparoscopic surgery being the only thing, and it isn't even necessarily definitive, having something that's non-invasive is important,' says Vandenbussche. 'This is something that can be very cost saving to the taxpayer, to the government. It's something that should become standard of care so that we can screen people,' added Porcellato.
