Saturday, February 22, 2025

Bloomberg Out of The Boxes

MILITARY + MARKETS
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Steve Cohen ‘Negative’ on US Economy, Citing Tariffs and DOGE

James E. Thorne on X: "Wall St legend Cohen waking up to the fact that  growth is going to slow. My thesis, now becoming consensus. Yes a growth  scare. Wall St is 

Steve Cohen says tariffs and DOGE’s cuts are negative for economy, market correction could be soon



Key Points
  • The chairman and CEO of hedge fund Point72 said he turned bearish for the first time in a while after President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy made him worry about inflationary pressures and lower consumer spending.
  • “Tariffs cannot be positive, okay? I mean, it’s a tax,” Cohen said Friday at the FII Priority Summit in Miami Beach, Florida.
Steve Cohen, chairman and CEO Point72 speaking to CNBC on April 3rd, 2024.Steve Cohen, chairman and CEO of Point72, speaking to CNBC on April 3, 2024.CNBC
 
Billionaire investor Steve Cohen doubled down on his negative view of the U.S. economy due to a backdrop of punitive tariffs, immigration crackdown and federal spending cuts spearheaded by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.The chairman and CEO of hedge fund Point72 said he turned bearish for the first time in a while after President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy made him worry about inflationary pressures and lower consumer spending. Meanwhile, his tough stance on immigration could mean a constrained supply of labor, he said.

“Tariffs cannot be positive, okay? I mean, it’s a tax,” Cohen said Friday at the FII Priority Summit in Miami Beach, Florida. “On top of that, we have slowing immigration, which means the labor force will not grow as rapidly as … the last five years and so.”

The prominent hedge fund investor took a stab at DOGE’s cost-cutting moves led by Elon Musk, saying they could only hurt the economy more. Musk has said his goal is to cut federal spending by $2 trillion.

  • “When that money has been coursing through the economy over many years, and now, potentially it will be reduced or stopped in many ways, has got to be negative for the economy,” Cohen said.
Cohen believes a pullback in the stock market could be likely given the uncertain macroeconomic environment. 
  • He sees the U.S. economy’s growth slowing down to 1.5% from 2.5% in the second half of the year. 
“I think we’re seeing the regime shift a little bit. It may only last a year or so, but it’s definitely a period where I think the best gains have been had and wouldn’t surprise me to see a significant correction,” Cohen said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a disaster.

Friday, February 21, 2025

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His American Dream; Our National Nightmare — The Week in Editorial Cartoons  (Poll) - Update #9

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BREITBART NEWS

 Report: U.S. Probes UnitedHealth’s Medicare Billing Processes

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) health insurance company signage is displayed on an office building
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

A probe into UnitedHealth’s Medicare billing processes in recent months has begun, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, pushing the healthcare conglomerate’s shares nearly 12 percent lower.

The civil fraud investigation, conducted by the Department of Justice (DoJ), is examining the company’s practices for recording diagnoses that trigger extra payments to its Medicare Advantage plans, the newspaper set out, citing people familiar with the matter.

Reuters reports UnitedHealth said the report contained “misinformation” about its Medicare Advantage plans, pointing to regular reviews by the government to ensure compliance.

The healthcare giant was also unaware of the launch of any new activity by the regulator, it said in a statement.

Demonstrators across from Manhattan Criminal Court during the arraignment of Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of a UnitedHealth Group Inc. chief executive officer Brian Thompson, in New York, US, on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty)

The DoJ did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers who are paid a set rate by the U.S. government to manage healthcare for older adults looking for extra benefits not covered by regular Medicare.

Shares of other health insurers such as Humana and CVS Health also fell between three percent and four percent in early trading as the report underscored growing scrutiny into the health insurance sector.

“Investors are selling because it creates an unknown that is hard to quantify – its impossible to truly know at this point how the investigation will unfold and what the ultimate impact will be on UNH’s profitability,” said James Harlow, senior vice president at Novare Capital Management.

Follow Simon Kent on Twitter:  or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com

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