The owner of UnitedHealthcare reported record full-year revenue but lower profits for 2024, just weeks after the brazen killing of a top executive inflamed the national ire against insurance companies.
Why it matters: It’s the first earnings report for UnitedHealth Group since Brian Thompson’s killing in early December sparked a national conversation about the U.S. health care industry’s profits and coverage denials.
By the numbers: UnitedHealth Group posted revenue of $400.3 billion for the full year, up 7.8% from 2023.
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Annual net earnings totaled $14.4 billion, down 35.6% from 2023, as it grappled with the aftermath of a cyber attack.
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The full-year performance fell short of S&P Capital IQ estimates of $15.82 billion in earnings and $401.2 billion in revenue.
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Its profits are still large enough, though, to rank among America’s 25 most profitable companies.
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In the fourth quarter, revenue increased 6.8% from a year earlier to $100.8 billion, while net earnings rose 1.6% from a year earlier to $5.5 billion.
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Fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $6.81 per share exceeded the average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg by 10 cents.
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/16/unitedhealth-earnings-brian-thompson