+++ News: Heated mood around US health insurers +++
The shares of well-known insurance companies such as $UNH (+1,64 %) but also those of competitors $ELV (-0,76 %)
$HUM (-2,08 %) and $CI (+0,21 %) have fallen surprisingly this week. Although the losses are limited, the reasons for this are more than just shocking.
As I reported earlier, the CEO of United Healthcare's insurance division was the victim of a targeted assassination. While the police are now investigating at full speed, the perpetrator is currently the target of downright hero worship on social media. The assassin is repeatedly equated with characters from pop culture such as Batman, Robin Hood or John Wick.
Insults against the victim and his family are also liked and shared thousands of times. It is not just the viciousness of the comments that is frightening - but the fact that, as is so often the case in such instances, the platforms simply let them stand.
Insurers' shares are currently falling because there are fears that there could be further murders of insurance employees. The management of the major insurance companies is alarmed and has hastily removed photos and other personal data of their "C-level executives" from their websites.
Commentary and classification: After the failed assassination attempt on Trump, I'm hardly surprised at the kind of people we're dealing with here. The same people who talk about democracy and human rights in every other sentence are the same people who are now calling for the assassination of their ideological opponents once again. Even a good ESG score doesn't help United Health against so much hatred.
From a purely shareholder perspective, this charged sentiment towards the banking and insurance sector is $JPM (+1,21 %) is of course a systemic risk when investing. However, these are not necessarily particularly controversial sectors. Retailers $WMT (-2,1 %) pharmaceuticals $PFE (+1,49 %)
$CVS (+0,57 %) consumer goods manufacturers $KVUE (-0,53 %)
$BATS (-0,24 %) defense companies $LMT (+0,94 %) etc. could soon find themselves in the crosshairs.
If you really want to be absolutely sure of being invested in a politically correct way, simply put your money in Northvolt and make a 90% loss. This also ensures that you can "eat the rich" can no longer be meant.
