UnitedHealth Increases Guidance for Year
April 17 2018 - 07:19AM
Dow Jones News
By Allison Prang
UnitedHealth Group Inc. reported an almost 31% increase in
earnings for its latest quarter and increased its earnings outlook
for the year.
The biggest U.S. insurer made $2.84 billion, or $2.87 a share,
up 31% from the $2.17 billion, or $2.23 a share the company made
for the same period the year before. On an adjusted basis,
UnitedHealth made $3.04 a share compared to $2.37 a share the year
before.
Revenue rose 13% to $55.19 billion, helped by double-digit
percentage increases in both the company's health care and Optum
segments.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting adjusted
earnings of $2.89 a share. They expected revenue of $54.86
billion.
UnitedHealth also increased its outlook for the year and expects
to earn between $11.70 and $11.95 a share. On an adjusted basis,
the company is expecting to make between $12.40 and $12.65 a share.
Analysts are expecting adjusted earnings of $12.54 a share.
Shares fell 0.1% premarket on low volume. In the past 12 months,
they have risen 38%. They are up 4.5% so far this year.
UnitedHealth had expected the recent new tax law to help
earnings by about 16% for the year and grow its cash flow by about
$1.7 billion.
The health-care provider said its income-tax rate in its most
recent quarter was 21.5%.
Revenue from premiums climbed 13%, in line with the company's
overall increase in revenue, to $44.08 billion. Total operating
costs at the company rose 13% to $51.14 billion.
Earnings from operations at Optum, a health services business
that is part of the company, rose 29%, outpacing the company's
health care business.
Optum wants to acquire DaVita Medical, which UnitedHealth agreed
to purchase in December. Those plans hit a bump last month when the
Federal Trade Commission asked for more information about the deal.
UnitedHealth had proposed to buy DaVita for $4.9 billion in cash.
DaVita would fall under UnitedHealth's OptumCare segment.
Write to Allison Prang at allison.prang@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 17, 2018 07:04 ET (11:04 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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