Diamonds and Dogs

4/8/25

Private insurers get a boost from the Trump Administration. UnitedHealth (UNH) is up 5% while Humana (HUM) is up 10% as the government would increase its payment rates to Medicare Advantage plans by 5.1%, much higher than the 2.2% increase it had proposed. These federal funds will be used to insure U.S. seniors, removing the worries that the White House's focus on cost-cutting would bring pressure to Medicare Advantage spending.

The trade tariff rhetoric is not slowing down with China as the Chinese said they will fight the tariffs. Apple (AAPL) and Nike are down 5% as both have a lot of exposure to China. Apple is willing to spend $500 billion in the US, but this will take years for them to expand. Currently, Apple makes a majority of their iphones in China and Taiwan with only 14% make in India.