Humana, ASML, Kraft Heinz: 3 Stocks In Focus

Health insurance company Humana (HUM) cut its full-year guidance amid rising medical costs. It reported a second quarter earnings beat.

ASML Holding (ASML) is seeing gains Wednesday morning after Reuters reported the chip company will be exempt from US export bans to China.

Lastly, the Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) reported mixed earnings results, the food company missing on sales estimates in its second quarter.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief.

This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Video transcript

Let's take a look at Yahoo Finance's three trending tickers.

Well, there are more than three, but these are the three big ones that we're tracking here this morning.

Humana, a SML and Kraft Heinz.

Mind that I'm excited about here, but we'll start with Humana.

Shares are sliding right now, the health insurer lowering its guidance again this year as it navigates higher than expected medical costs.

Shares right now are down by about 7.3%.

And for those of you who are keeping score at home over the course of this year to date, it's been down by about 20%.

There's a lot to answer for, I think, within this broader health care industry.

And, of course, this is not the only health care and health insurance provider that's having its own issues.

I've been keeping tabs on the United Health Group as well.

They reported a little bit earlier in the earning season.

However, year to date, they're seeing gains right now of about 6% so we'll see exactly where some of this nets out within the broader industry.

I didn't meet the third.

I can't do it.

I didn't have the 30 seconds in my ears.

I didn't know if you were going to meet it or not.

OK, well, let's move on to a SML.

Shares are rallying today.

The Dutch chip maker will be exempt from the US S expanded export ban of semiconductor equipment to China.

That's according to a report from Reuters.

Now that new rule is set to be unveiled next month.

Now lots of questions about what exactly this is going to entail, but at least from the Reuters report, not so much, uh, company specific names like a S MC L. But they are a SML, but they're talking about chip.

Suppliers from Japan from South Korea from the Netherlands are expected to be exempt from that from the upcoming export restrictions.

JP.

Morgan, saying that this is a massive relief for investors who have been pricing in a worst case ban for the stock.

Wow, you did it.

OK, all right, 30 seconds there, 30 seconds on the clock for me.

Kraft Heinz KHC Kraft Heinz shares are in the green after beating when profit, but the food and be giants is seeing consumers being cautious weighing on their net sales for the second quarter.

All right, so there was a lot to really kind of take in with this one.

I'll be as brief as I can in 20 seconds.

It's up right now by about three and three quarters percent.

One of the things that did jump out to me.

Net sales they decreased by about 3.6%.

Organic net sales, also down by about 2.4%.

Profit margin.

Gross profit margin.

Though that did increase, though, and came in at a level of 30 5.4% for the quarter.

However, this is what they're saying about the consumer in 10 seconds or less.

Second quarter net sales growth came in lower than anticipated.

Consumer sentiment remains cautious right now, and they acknowledged that the consumer is looking for more value hacking and they're going to selectively increase some of the investments and promotions.

All right, I was over for two on keeping this under 30 seconds today, but there's always tomorrow.

There's always tomorrow we'll see whether or not you come back with vengeance.

I'll be time will tell