UnitedHealth Boosts FY19 Outlook; Q1 Results Top Estimates - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - While reporting financial results for the first quarter, diversified health care company UnitedHealth Group (UNH) on Tuesday increased its earnings outlook for the full-year 2019.

For fiscal 2019, the company increased its guidance for earnings to a range of $13.80 to $14.05 per share, and adjusted earnings to a range of $14.50 to $14.75 per share, based on the strong first quarter results and visibility on improved 2019 performance trends.

Previously, the company had projected full year net earnings in the range of $13.70 to $14.00 per share, and adjusted earnings in the range of $14.40 to $14.70 per share.

On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $14.65 per share for the year. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

For the first quarter, net earnings grew 24 percent to $3.56 per share from last year, and adjusted earnings was $3.73 per share, driven by top-line growth and 60 basis points of net margin expansion. Revenues for the quarter increased 9.3 percent to $60.3 billion from a year-ago.

Analysts expected earnings of $3.59 per share on revenues of $59.71 billion for the quarter.