UnitedHealth Group Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Rising Revenue

UnitedHealth Group UNH earnings are right around the corner! Don't be caught off-guard: The company unveils its next round of earnings this Tuesday, July 19, 2011.

Want to know what analysts are expecting to see in UnitedHealth Group's lastest earnings numbers? We thought so. Here's an advanced look at the company's second quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Wall Street expects a positive EPS reading of 92 cents per share and revenues of $25.22 billion. We'll have to wait for Tuesday to see if UnitedHealth Group has accomplished the estimated 86% rise in EPS and 108% increase in revenues on a year-over-year basis.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	89 cents	84 cents	84 cents	75 cents
EPS Actual	$1.22	94 cents	$1.14	99 cents

Stock Performance:

Shares of UnitedHealth Group were trading at $51.73 as of July 13, 2011. Shares are up 44.1% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 49.1%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably satisfied going into this earnings release.

• Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for UnitedHealth Group is a Moderate Buy. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

Competitors:

Wondering how some of the other healthcare companies are doing? Here are a few of UnitedHealth Group's peers in that sector.

• Aetna AET: Moderate Buy with a $1.43 recent quarter EPS
• CIGNA CI: Hold with a $1.37 recent quarter EPS
• Coventry Health Care CVH: Hold with a $0.66 recent quarter EPS

UnitedHealth Group is in the medical-HMO industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1.1%.

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: UnitedHealth Group designs products, provides services and applies technologies that improve access to health and well-being services.

Take Action:

Now that you're fully prepared, get ready to take quick action if the company reports any numbers significantly different from those listed above. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.

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