UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Q2 Earnings Beat, Hikes ’22 EPS View


UnitedHealth Group Incorporated


UNH

reported second-quarter 2022 adjusted earnings of $5.57 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.3%. The bottom line improved 19% year over year.

UNH’s quarterly performance was driven by sustained membership growth in its UnitedHealthcare business. Strong expansion in value-based arrangements at the Optum Health segment contributed to the upside. However, the upside was partly offset by elevated operating costs.

Revenues of UNH were $80.3 billion, which climbed 13% year over year in the second quarter on the back of sound contributions made by UnitedHealthcare and Optum segments. The top line outpaced the consensus mark by 0.9%.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group gained 1.7% in the pre-market trading session, courtesy of its better-than-expected second-quarter results.

Q2 Business Performance

The medical care ratio of UnitedHealth Group improved 130 basis points (bps) year over year to 81.5% during the quarter under review.

Operating cost ratio of 14.6% deteriorated 10 bps year over year due to the business mix and continued investments undertaken by UNH to pursue future growth opportunities. Nevertheless, the metric partly benefited from consistent productivity gains.

Total operating costs amounted to $73.2 billion in the second quarter, which increased 12% year over year due to higher medical costs, operating expenses, cost of products sold, and depreciation and amortization.

Segmental Performances

The health benefits segment of UnitedHealth Group —

UnitedHealthcare

reported revenues of $62.1 billion, which improved 12% year over year.

Earnings from operations climbed 25.8% year over year to $3.9 billion in the second quarter. The improvement can be attributed to strong membership growth and consistent management of medical and operating costs.

Revenues from another segment,

Optum

, totaled $45.1 billion, up 18% year over year on the back of double-digit growth across each of the segment’s businesses. Optum Health, which has been gaining from a greater number of people served under value-based care arrangements and consistent  strengthening of care services, contributed the most to Optum’s top-line growth.

Earnings from operations grew 13.8% year over year to $3.3 billion in the quarter under review.

Apart from OptumHealth, the other sub-segments of Optum also exhibited impressive performances in the second quarter. While Optum Insight revenues gained from better comprehensive managed services and enhanced information technology and data analytics offerings suite, the performance of Optum Rx sub-segment benefited from broadening of pharmacy care services offerings and the effective catering of new clients.

Uptick in Membership Enrollment

The UnitedHealthcare segment catered to 51.25 million people as of Jun 30, 2022, up 162 million lives year over year, thanks to the community-based and senior offerings of the unit.

Financial Position (as of Jun 30, 2022)

UnitedHealth Group exited the second quarter with cash and short-term investments of around $28 billion, which increased 17% from the 2021-end level. Total assets of $230.2 billion climbed 8.5% from the figure at the 2021-end.

Long-term debt, less current maturities of $45.8 billion, escalated 8.1% from the 2021-end figure.

Return on equity came in at 27.9%, which improved 270 bps year over year in the second quarter.

Increase in Cash Flows

During the six months ended Jun 30, 2022, UnitedHealth Group generated cash flows from operations of $12.2 billion, which increased 5.6% from the prior-year comparable period.

Share Repurchase and Dividend Update

In the reported quarter, UnitedHealth Group rewarded its shareholders with share repurchases and dividends to the tune of $4 billion.

2022 Guidance Upped

Backed by the performance exhibited by UNH in the first half of 2022 and growth projections, UnitedHealth Group raised its earnings outlook for the year.

Net earnings is now predicted within $20.45 to $20.95 per share, higher than the prior guidance of $20.30-$20.80. The mid-point of the revised outlook indicates 14.5% growth from the 2021 figure.

Meanwhile, adjusted net earnings per share is anticipated to be $21.40-$21.90 band, up from the previous projection of $21.20-$21.70. The mid-point of the updated outlook suggests a 13.8% improvement from the 2021 figure.

Zacks Rank

UnitedHealth Group carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see


the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here


.

Upcoming Releases

Here are companies worth considering from the

Medical

space as our model shows that this has the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle:


Merck & Co., Inc.


MRK

has an Earnings ESP of +7.18% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), currently. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Merck’s

second-quarter 2022 earnings

is pegged at $7.31, which indicates a 21.4% increase from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

MRK beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once.


AstraZeneca


AZN

has an Earnings ESP of +1.30% and a Zacks Rank #1, currently. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AstraZeneca’s

second-quarter 2022 earnings

is pegged at $3.29, which indicates a 24.2% increase from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

AZN beat earnings estimates in two of the trailing four quarters, matched once and missed the remaining one.


Repligen Corporation


RGEN

has an Earnings ESP of +0.40% and a Zacks Rank #3, currently. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Repligen’s

second-quarter 2022 earnings

is pegged at $3.10, which indicates a 1.3% increase from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

RGEN beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.


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