In partnership with

Today is Monday, September 15, 2025.

The Early Bird Index today is 93.37.

New to this newsletter? Sign up here

UnitedHealth's Trump Allies Plan

It’s been a rough year for UnitedHealth Group $UNH ( ▼ 0.31% ) and its investors, but now it appears that the healthcare giant might have a plan to fix core governance problems.

Details: The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that UnitedHealth has been hiring allies of the Trump administration and pleading its case in the face of a criminal investigation of its key Medicare business. This includes securing meetings with top administration officials, which is unusual for a company facing an early-stage criminal investigation.

• UnitedHealth has not commented on the report.

Background: UnitedHealth is being investigated by the government for alleged criminal fraud related to its Medicare Advantage program billing practices, including allegations of inflating payments.

Stock Price: The stock is down 30.13% this year due to disappointing earnings, much lower profit forecasts, and surging medical costs.

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: UnitedHealth investors should be highly concerned because the government’s investigation creates significant risks, including regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and sustained stock underperformance.

• Investors should see the company’s major spending on Trump-connected allies as a sign that management views its Washington challenges as existential threats to its business and stock price.

• This plan could help the company, but it also underscores risks, volatility, and political uncertainty for investors.

Final Thoughts: As UnitedHealth’s stock has fallen in 2025, its competitors in the health insurance industry have seen their stock prices jump this year.

7 Actionable Ways to Achieve a Comfortable Retirement

Your dream retirement isn’t going to fund itself—that’s what your portfolio is for.

When generating income for a comfortable retirement, there are countless options to weigh. Muni bonds, dividends, REITs, Master Limited Partnerships—each comes with risk and oppor-tunity.

The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income from Fisher investments shows you ways you can position your portfolio to help you maintain or improve your lifestyle in retirement.

It also highlights common mistakes, such as tax mistakes, that can make a substantial differ-ence as you plan your well-deserved future.

Download your free copy today.

Notables

Notable Earnings Today: Dave & Buster's (Nasdaq: PLAY), Hain Celestial (Nasdaq: HAIN), High Tide (Nasdaq: HITI), MindWalk (Nasdaq: HYFT). 

Notable IPOs Today: Spruce Biosciences, Inc. Common Stock (Nasdaq: SPRB), Mount Logan Capital Inc. Common Stock (Nasdaq: MLCI).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: N/A.

Notable Economic Events Today: NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (8:30 a.m. ET).

Cardano Continues Recent Skid

The price of the cryptocurrency Cardano $ADA.X ( ▼ 7.19% ) fell about 3% on Sunday.

Price: In the past 30 days, Cardano has been down about 8%, lagging behind other cryptos.

Details: Cardano faces waning interest as investors pursue alternatives with greater speculative upside like meme coins and new DeFi projects.

Also: It doesn’t help that there have been some delays in Cardano’s product roadmap.

Final Thoughts: Despite the recent skid, Cardano is still up about 5% in 2025.

Tencent’s New Bond Sale

On Sunday, Bloomberg reported that Chinese technology giant Tencent $TCEHY ( ▲ 0.28% ) has appointed banks for its first bond offering in four years. This will help the company raise additional funds, and it could improve liquidity.

Final Thoughts: Tencent’s stock is up 54.67% this year.

Trends to Watch

Snitch: Whirlpool Tells U.S. Authorities Its Rivals Could Be Evading Tariffs (Wall Street Journal)

No Deal: UK's Sainsbury's ends talks to sell Argos to China's JD.com (Reuters)

Producing More Cars: Tesla’s German Car Plant Boosts Production Plan, Chief Tells DPA (Bloomberg)

Surging: Monero pumps 7% despite an 18-block reorg prompting concerns (Cointelegraph)

Big Week: Political turbulence engulfs the Fed as Trump pushes to assert control (Washington Post)

Thank you for reading!

Forward to a friend and tell them to sign up here.

Pick winning stocks: Upgrade to Early Bird Prime.

Be social: Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

Want more investing tips? Listen to the podcast.

Show Your Support: Buy Me a Coffee.

Questions or comments? Hit reply to reach out.

_{The contents of Early Bird are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. They do not constitute trade or investment recommendations, and they are not financial or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult licensed professionals for personalized guidance regarding their financial or legal situations.}