UNH

The stock market hit new highs, as Netflix surged on subscriber gains, with Apple and other big techs rallying too. Tesla Model Y deliveries began in China.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2020 results wherein it breezed past the Zacks Consensus Estimate on both earnings and revenues.

UnitedHealth Group reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results despite a spike in pandemic-led healthcare costs. The healthcare giant’s 4Q sales rose 7.5% to $65.5 billion year-on-year, exceeding consensus estimates of $65.1 billion. Shares closed at $350.84 on Jan. 20. UnitedHealth (UNH) posted 4Q adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, which beat analysts’ estimates of $2.40 per share. The company’s 4Q net EPS (earnings per share) of $2.30 fell from the $3.68 posted during the same quarter last year. Its adjusted EPS of $2.52 per share declined from $3.90 in 4Q19. This decline in earnings per share was largely related to higher healthcare costs due to Covid-19, the company said. For FY20, revenue rose 6% to $257.1 billion year-on-year, led by a 21% uptick in sales at its Optum business. Optum is UnitedHealth’s information technology-enabled health services business that serves different dimensions of the healthcare system including care providers, life sciences companies, and consumers. (See UNH stock analysis on TipRanks) UnitedHealth’s CEO, David S. Wichmann, commented, “We are grateful for the human spirit and resolve of our people, including our 125,000 clinicians who, with other frontline health care workers, demonstrated extraordinary collaboration, compassion and innovation.” The company affirmed its FY21 earnings outlook and expects net earnings of between $16.90 to $17.40 per share and adjusted net earnings of between $17.75 to $18.25 per share. According to UnitedHealth, this outlook includes a negative impact of approximately $1.80 per share due to Covid-19 that included testing and treatment costs and people deferring healthcare in 2020. Following the 4Q results, Oppenheimer analyst Michael Wiederhorn reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and set a price target of $375. “The company’s Optum business is a nice complement to its core managed care operations and continues to account for a large share of earnings,” Wiederhorn commented in a note to investors. Furthermore, UNH’s vertical integration strategy strengthens the company’s competitive positioning across many areas of the healthcare landscape.” Overall, analysts are bullish about the stock and the consensus is a Strong Buy with 16 analysts suggesting a Buy and 2 analysts recommending a Hold. The average price target of $396.44 implies 13% upside potential to current levels. Related News:Aclaris Explodes 220% On ‘Positive Data’ From Rheumatoid Arthritis TrialAkzo Nobel Enters Tikkurila Takeover Battle With $1.7B BidMasterCraft Is Going Digital For Its Dynamic Boat Show Season More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: 2 “Strong Buy” Penny Stocks That Could See Outsized Gains United Airlines Posts Wider-Than Feared Loss of $1.9B In 4Q; Street Says Hold Thursday’s Pre-Market: Here’s What You Need To Know Before The Market Opens Inovio Sinks 7% After Pricing Of $150.5M Share Offering; Street Says Hold

The big shareholder groups in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( NYSE:UNH ) have power over the company. Institutions...

Investors drive stocks to records as they expect the Biden administration to increase spending to boost an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Optum gains offset rising COVID costs for UnitedHealth, driving solid fourth quarter earnings and a robust 2021 profit forecast.

UnitedHealth's (UNH) fourth-quarter results benefit from higher revenues and return of healthcare utilization to normalcy level, partly offset by higher costs.

Jim Cramer shares stock-market news including UnitedHealth's earnings, how to trade bank stocks amidst earnings season, and markets on inauguration day.

Q4 earnings season continues this morning with several companies across a wide array of industries.

Adjusted quarterly earnings per share came in at $2.52, 12 cents better than the consensus estimate among analysts tracked by FactSet.

Minnesota-based health insurer UnitedHealth reported better-than-expected profit in the fourth quarter, largely driven by lower COVID-19 care costs, continued voluntary consumer and customer assistance initiatives and other pandemic-related factors.

Wall Street's main indexes were set to open near record highs on Wednesday, as Joe Biden prepared to take charge as U.S. President, while Netflix jumped after saying it will no longer need to borrow billions of dollars to finance its TV shows and movies. Shares of the world's largest streaming service surged 13% in premarket trading, helping boost futures tracking the broader tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index.

Stocks moving in premarket trading on Wednesday include Procter & Gamble, UnitedHealth, Morgan Stanley and Alibaba.

UnitedHealth (UNH) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 5.44% and 0.61%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 2020. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?

Shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) moved lower by 0.6% in pre-market trading after the company reported Q4 results.Quarterly Results Earnings per share were down 35.38% over the past year to $2.52, which beat the estimate of $2.41.Revenue of $65,467,000,000 rose by 7.50% year over year, which beat the estimate of $65,060,000,000.Outlook The upcoming fiscal year's EPS expected to be between $17.75 and $18.25.Conference Call Details Date: Jan 20, 2021View more earnings on UNHTime: 08:45 AMET Webcast URL: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/investors.htmlRecent Stock Performance Company's 52-week high was at $367.9552-week low: $187.72Price action over last quarter: Up 8.96%Company Profile UnitedHealth Group is the largest private health insurance provider in the United States, offering medical benefits to nearly 50 million members across its U.S. and international businesses. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in managed care. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's continued investments in its Optum franchises have created a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from medical and pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.See more from Benzinga * Click here for options trades from Benzinga * Earnings Scheduled For January 20, 2021 * UnitedHealth Group Earnings Preview(C) 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Fundamental execution was strong across UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in the fourth quarter and throughout the full year 2020, led by Optum and by UnitedHealthcare’s community and senior benefit businesses, even as the Company delivered expansive voluntary relief efforts for consumers, care providers and customers across the health system.

Companies Reporting Before The Bell • UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.41 per share on revenue of $65.06 billion.• BOK Financial (NASDAQ:BOKF) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $1.92 per share on revenue of $483.14 million.• Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $1.27 per share on revenue of $11.54 billion.• Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.91 per share on revenue of $1.70 billion.• Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.51 per share on revenue of $19.27 billion.• Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.33 per share on revenue of $1.34 billion.• U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.95 per share on revenue of $5.82 billion.• Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.91 per share on revenue of $3.83 billion.• ASML Holding (NASDAQ:ASML) is expected to report earnings for its fourth quarter. Companies Reporting After The Bell • Discover Financial (NYSE:DFS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.42 per share on revenue of $2.82 billion.• First Internet (NASDAQ:INBK) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $19.56 million.• Umpqua Holdings (NASDAQ:UMPQ) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.48 per share on revenue of $330.50 million.• Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $2.35 billion.• Sterling Bancorp (NYSE:STL) is likely to report quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $219.56 million.• Hancock Whitney (NASDAQ:HWC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.90 per share on revenue of $319.54 million.• Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion.• Bright Scholar Education (NYSE:BEDU) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.22 per share on revenue of $154.26 million.• Plexus (NASDAQ:PLXS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.09 per share on revenue of $832.12 million.• United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:UAL) is projected to report quarterly loss at $6.60 per share on revenue of $3.44 billion.• Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.41 per share on revenue of $414.20 million.See more from Benzinga * Click here for options trades from Benzinga * Pinnacle Finl Partners: Q4 Earnings Insights * SmartFinancial: Q4 Earnings Insights(C) 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

U.S. stocks are seen edging higher Wednesday, with investors cautiously awaiting President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) will also be in the spotlight after stellar results. At 7:25 AM ET (1225 GMT), the Dow Futures contract was up 33 points, or 0.1%, S&P 500 Futures traded 12 points, or 0.3%, higher, and Nasdaq 100 Futures climbed 100 points, or 0.8%.

These 5 big cap stocks soared to new highs again in 2020. Can they continue to break out in 2021 as the COVID recovery takes hold?

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, January 20. Get the latest predictions in Benzinga's essential guide to the company's Q4 earnings report.Net Income, Earnings, And Earnings Per Share Earnings and EPS are useful metrics of profitability. Total earnings also known as net income is equal to total revenue minus total expenses. Dividing net income by the total number of shares outstanding yields EPS.Earnings And Revenue Sell-side analysts expect UnitedHealth Group's EPS to be near $2.41 on sales of $65.10 billion. In the same quarter last year, UnitedHealth Group reported earnings per share of $3.9 on revenue of $60.90 billion.Why Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises Are Important Wall Street analysts who study this company will publish analyst estimates of revenue and EPS. The averages of all analyst EPS and revenue estimates are called the "consensus estimates"; these consensus estimates can have a significant effect on a company's performance during an earnings release. When a company posts earnings or revenue above or below a consensus estimate, it has posted an "earnings surprise", which can really move a stock depending on the difference between actual and estimated values.View more earnings on UNHIf the company were to report earnings in line when it publishes results Wednesday, quarterly profit would be down 38.21%. Revenue would be have grown 6.89% from the same quarter last year. The company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past like this:Quarter Q3 2020 Q2 2020 Q1 2020 Q4 2020 EPS Estimate 3.09 5.18 3.64 3.78 EPS Actual 3.51 7.12 3.72 3.90 Revenue Estimate 63.96 B 63.43 B 64.33 B 61.04 B Revenue Actual 65.11 B 62.14 B 64.42 B 60.90 B Stock Performance Shares of UnitedHealth Group were trading at $351.4 as of January 18. Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 17.59%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders can be satisfied going into this earnings release.Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. UnitedHealth Group is scheduled to hold the call at 08:45:00 ET and can be accessed here.See more from Benzinga * Click here for options trades from Benzinga * Preview: Bank of New York Mellon's Earnings * Commerce Bancshares's Earnings: A Preview(C) 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.