UnitedHealth Group Reiterates 2024 Adjusted Net Earnings Outlook

Image: UnitedHealth Group’s shares have been choppy during the past couple years.

By Brian Nelson, CFA

On April 16, UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported better-than-expected first quarter 2024 results. Revenue advanced nearly $8 billion on a year-over-year basis, to $99.8 billion, while adjusted earnings per share came in at $6.91. The company’s results were quite messy given the impact of the recent cyberattack on its business as well as the sale of its Brazil operations.

UnitedHealth Group noted that the cyberattack impact in the first quarter was $0.74 per share, and the firm expects the full year 2024 impact to be $1.15-$1.35 per share. The company also recorded a largely non-cash $7 billion charge in the quarter due to the sale of its Brazil operations. Despite all the moving parts, UnitedHealth Group maintained its adjusted net earnings outlook in the range of $27.50-$28.00 for the full year, a reiteration that eased the market’s concerns over rising medical costs.

UnitedHealth Group’s shares have seen better days as the firm works to recover from a cyberattack, while the industry’s medical costs are on the rise as patients begin to pursue procedures that were deferred during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. Though it may be some time for UnitedHealth Group’s performance to normalize given the cyberattack and pent-up demand, we liked that it maintained its adjusted net earnings outlook for 2024 amid concerns of rising costs. UnitedHealth remains a key idea in the newsletter portfolios.