MINNETONKA, Minn. – UnitedHealth profits jumped about 44% in the first quarter and the nation's largest health insurer boosted its outlook for the year.
The company said Thursday that the performance of its Optum division was particularly strong. UnitedHealth raised its full year profit forecast to adjusted earnings of $18.10 to $18.60 per share, up from an outlook of $17.75 to $18.25 per share that it debuted in December.
The new range mostly tops the average analyst forecast of $18.19 per share, according to FactSet. That projection includes a potential downside per-share of $1.80 due to the continuing influence of the pandemic.