Healthcare Sector Momentum: Policy News and Expert Endorsement Drive Insurer Gains

On November 24, 2025, two catalysts fueled healthcare sector momentum: Josh Brown’s CNBC segment naming healthcare his “best stocks in the market” [1] and news of the Trump administration considering a two-year Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy extension [2][3]. Insurers with large ACA enrollments saw significant gains: Oscar Health (OSCR) surged 24.22% (3x average volume), Centene (CNC) rose5.08%, Molina (MOH) gained2.94% [0]. UnitedHealth (UNH) fell slightly (-0.29%) due to smaller ACA share [1]. The healthcare sector rose0.49% (6th of11 sectors) [0].

1. Policy vs Operational Gains
   : OSCR/CNC gains are policy-driven (negative EPS: -$0.90/-$10.67) vs MOH/UNH’s positive EPS ($16.24/$19.20) [0].
2. Enrollment Correlation
   : Stock performance aligns with ACA enrollment share—larger shares mean bigger gains [2].
3. Narrow Impact
   : Momentum is limited to managed care; broader healthcare subsectors showed minimal movement [0].

: Regulatory uncertainty (subsidy needs Congressional approval [3]), profitability gaps for OSCR/CNC, narrow sector rally (lags utilities/tech [0]).
: Stability for enrollment leaders if subsidies pass [2], long-term sector confidence from Brown’s endorsement [1].

Healthcare sector saw targeted gains driven by policy/expert signals. Insurers with large ACA enrollments led, but profitability risks and regulatory uncertainty persist. Data shows clear enrollment-share performance correlation, with UNH underperforming due to smaller ACA presence.