UnitedHealth Group Q4 Profit Tops Street - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Health insurer UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported higher fourth-quarter 2014 results, highlighted by Optum's exceptional revenue growth, margin expansion and earnings advances and broad-based strength in UnitedHealthcare's public and senior sector benefits business.

For the quarter, earnings from operations were $2.8 billion and net earnings were $1.51 billion, or $1.55 per share, as the earnings per share growth rate rose to 10 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter. Last year's net earnings stood at $1.43 billion, or $1.41 per share. On average, 22 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $1.50 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Three-month revenues grew year-over-year to $33.4 billion from $31.1 billion, while 16 analysts estimated revenue of $33.11 billion for the quarter.

Looking ahead to 2015, the firm sees revenues of $140.5 billion to $141.5 billion and projects rising net earnings per share growth in 2015, to a range of $6.00 to $6.25 per share, and strong cash flows from operations in a range of $8.0 billion to $8.4 billion. Analysts expect annual profit per share of $6.17 on revenue of $140.90 billion.