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Strategies & Market Trends : Zeev's Turnips - No Politics -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ajtj99 who wrote (13062)	12/13/2001 11:42:36 AM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 99280

Aetna (AET) 30.90 -0.14: AET may be the largest U.S. health insurer, but the company itself just got a lot smaller... Earlier this morning management announced that it was slashing nearly 6,000 jobs, or about one-sixth of its work force... Company struggling to right-size its business to reflect declining membership... Should note that lower membership is a strategic decision, as company - like rest of industry - shifts focus from gaining share to returning to profitability... Unfortunately for AET, the company has lagged well behind the rest of the industry on this score... Whereas most of its competitors are enjoying solid EPS growth, driven by rising premiums, AET noted that rising medical costs offset its rate hikes... Briefing.com a little skeptical given that higher medical costs were felt throughout the industry, yet companies such as UnitedHealth (UNH), Oxford Health (OHP) and WellPoint (WLP) are managing to post much better results... Interestingly it was almost one year ago to the day (12/18/00) that AET announced actions intended to improve its profitability and competitiveness... Those actions included cutting about 5,000 jobs... How has management done in achieving its goal? Through the first three quarters of FY01, company has lost $1.37 per share... Going into today's session, street was looking for a Q4 loss of $0.37, and a FY01 loss of $1.74... The outlook for FY02 -- a loss of $0.24... Maybe the best way to return AET to profitability is to cut one or two more jobs... Only this time start at the top and work down. -- Robert Walberg, Briefing.com

To: ajtj99 who wrote (13062)	12/13/2001 11:45:57 AM
From: LTK007	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 99280

once again unexplainable support on relentless horrid news---a big doses today--therefore QED--propping on top of propping day in and day out-- they talk about "duh,they are buying future good news" no,they are instead WAITING to sell the accumulating bad news. Daily segment i would love see appear on CNBC "Truth is Freedom:manipulation in the market today" hosted by William Fleckenstein.Do you think that will ever happen???:) max

To: ajtj99 who wrote (13062)	12/13/2001 11:49:52 AM
From: ild	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 99280

IMO it's just the boys support the market because it's a big IPO day. If those IPOs don't go well -- no more IPOs (and no more cakes and ice cream).