UnitedHealth Group (UNH) reported $100.81 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.8%. EPS of $6.81 for the same period compares to $6.16 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $102.25 billion, representing a surprise of -1.41%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +1.49%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $6.71.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how UnitedHealth performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• UnitedHealthcare Customer Profile - People Served - Total UnitedHealthcare - Medical: 50.68 million compared to the 50.36 million average estimate based on five analysts.
• UnitedHealthcare Customer Profile - People Served - Total Commercial - Domestic: 29.73 million versus 29.7 million estimated by five analysts on average.
• UnitedHealthcare Customer Profile - People Served - Commercial - Domestic- Risk-based: 8.85 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of 8.87 million.
• UnitedHealthcare Customer Profile - People Served - Commercial - Domestic- Fee-based: 20.89 million versus 20.83 million estimated by five analysts on average.
• Revenues- Investment and other income: $1.55 billion versus $1.21 billion estimated by 10 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +31.6% change.
• Revenues- Products: $13.48 billion compared to the $13.04 billion average estimate based on 10 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +19.1% year over year.
• Revenues- Services: $9.30 billion versus $9.37 billion estimated by 10 analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +6.8% change.
• Revenues- Premiums: $76.48 billion compared to the $78.16 billion average estimate based on 10 analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.5% year over year.
• Revenues- Optum Insight: $4.78 billion compared to the $5.10 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.1% year over year.
• Revenues- Optum Rx: $35.77 billion versus $35.34 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +14.8% change.
• Revenues- Optum Health: $25.66 billion versus $27.28 billion estimated by six analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +4.6% change.
• Revenues- UnitedHealthcare- Total: $74.13 billion compared to the $75.52 billion average estimate based on six analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.7% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for UnitedHealth here>>>

Shares of UnitedHealth have returned +8.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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