BUZZ-CVS set to end 2025 higher, UnitedHealth set for yearly fall

** CVS Health CVS.N shares have risen nearly 78% this year, set to snap three consecutive years of losses, as turnaround plans show progress

** UnitedHealth UNH.N fell 34%, set for its third year in red as the healthcare conglomerate battled with surge in medical costs, a federal probe and Americans' anger at insurance industry practices

** Health insurers have been battling stubbornly high costs for over two years due to the increased use of healthcare services across government-backed plans

** Elevance ELV.N, Centene CNC.N and Molina Healthcare MOH.N also set to end in losses

** YTD, Humana HUM.N stock up 2%, Cigna CI.N marginally up

** The S&P 500 Managed Health Care .SPLRCHMO index has fallen 28.7% YTD, set for the worst year since 2008, with Molina being the bigger loser

** Many health insurers are looking toward margin recovery in 2026

** We see a path for Medicare Advantage to outperform in 2026 if things go right, but the inevitable rebound in Medicaid is unlikely to start until late 2026 or into 2027, BofA analysts said in a note earlier this month

** Brokerage said insurers provided less 2026 commentary than normal and estimates still need to come down for most companies

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)

((Sriparna.Roy@thomsonreuters.com))