Unitedhealth Hits All The Notes, Shares Head For New Heights

UnitedHealth hiked its 2015 forecast after soaring past Wall Street's first-quarter expectations with a performance fueled in part by growth outside health insurance. Shares of the nation's largest health insurer climbed toward another all-time high hours before markets opened Thursday after it said it now expects annual earnings of $6.15 to $6.30 per share, up from a forecast of $6 to $6.25 per share that it made late last year. Analysts had been expecting $6.21 per share for the year, according to FactSet. UnitedHealth also raised its revenue forecast as the Minneapolis company's first quarter backed up an optimistic vibes that company executives exuded in January, when they said the insurer was carrying momentum into 2015 from a strong finish last year. In the first quarter, earnings climbed about 29 percent to $1.41 billion, or $1.46 per share.Read more on NewsOK.com