Out Fox The $treet

Cheap, cheap, cheap. Amazing how truly bearish this market has become. All earnings expectations are scrutinized to the nth degree. Even a strong company like Coventry Health (CVH) can up guidance for 2010 by nearly 10% and see the stock barely react with the PE at only 6.7. The stock has been down 35% over the last couple of months. How did we get to a point where investors are so bearish that they completely ignore fundamentals? Sure CVH is in the healthcare sector and Obama's new healthecare bill raises alot of concerns in the industry, but CVH has had a couple of months to study the impacts and they are comfortable enough to up guidance. Excluding a beneficial impact from Medicare Advantage private payments of 28 cents per share, the forecast range of $2.47 to $2.62 is well above the consensus $2.31 analysts have been projecting. ($2.55 midpoint) In addition they also recently made an accretive acquisition on 6/30. Mercy Health Plans has roughly 180K members providing CVH with...

Coventry Health (CVH) jumps today on better then expected earnings. This has been a continuing theme in the health insurance sector. Just yesterday Humana (HUM) strong on much stronger results. This sector in general trades at very low PEs so it isn't that surprising that they've jumped on earnings. This doesn't erase the fears that the Obama administration will continue to look at ways to wring profits from this group, but they remain very cheap at current levels. CVH forecasts a average eps of $1.8 for 2009 placing it's PE at 8. This sector may not see the 15+ PEs of the past decade, but I'd expect some expansion to the 12 range or a 50% gain. CVH is now the 5th largest position of the Growth Fund at 4.2% of the portfolio following an added purchase yesteday on the HUM earnings. CVH was a $60 stock when 2008 began so getting back to $15 isn't that exciting, but I wouldn't expect this sector to return to its old highs. Too much scrutiny over the next 4 year...