What happened
Shares of Teladoc Health (TDOC 3.31%) were climbing last month as the company recovered from a scandal in December, got an analyst upgrade, and rode the market comeback following the sell-off in the fourth quarter of 2018. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the stock finished January up 30%.
The chart below shows the stock's gains over the month as it rose steadily in the first half of the month.
So what
Teladoc stock had fallen 21% in December in part due to an alleged affair between COO and CFO Mark Hirschhorn and an employee that led to the employee's getting a series of promotions that appeared to be undeserved. Hirschhorn ended up resigning on Dec. 17. However, the sell-off over December seemed to present a buying opportunity, as the stock fell to more than six-month lows.
Check out the latest Teladoc earnings call transcript.
Image source: Teladoc.
The telehealth provider's best stretch of the month came on a three-day span starting on Jan. 14 with an upgrade from Baird to outperform from neutral. Analyst Matthew Gillmor lifted his rating on the stock and maintained his price target at $80, citing a number of factors, including that plan sponsors and payers were shifting benefits to "virtual first" healthcare and that telehealth services would be included in Medicare Advantage's annual bids beginning in 2020.
Finally, the broader recovery in stocks in January, especially high-priced growth stocks like Teladoc, also seemed to push the stock higher.
Now what
Considering Teladoc is still seeing fast revenue growth but putting up losses, the stock's volatility should continue, especially as management has leaned on acquisitions to help propel growth. Teladoc's fourth-quarter earnings report is expected out at the end of February. Analysts see revenue increasing 55.6% to $120 million, and its loss per share narrowing from -$0.76 to -$0.36.
