WellPoint Q2 Profit Slips; Revises FY Earnings View - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Health insurer WellPoint, Inc. (WLP) said it has made $731.1 million or $2.56 per share of net income in the second quarter of 2014, which included net gains of about $0.12 per share. Prior-year quarter's net income of $800.1 million, or $2.64 per share, included net gains of around $0.04 per share.

Excluding items, adjusted net income for the recent quarter stood at $2.44 per share. On average, 21 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings per share of $2.26 for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Quarterly total revenues reached $18.47 billion, a 4.4% increase, compared with the year-ago figure of $17.69 billion, with total operating revenue growing 4.2% year-over-year to $18.23 billion, from $17.49 billion. Eighteen analysts estimated $18.23 billion in revenues for the period.

For full year 2014, the company now expects net income to exceed $8.81 per share, including $0.21 per share of net favorable items in the first half. Excluding these items, adjusted net income is projected to be greater than $8.60 per share. Analysts project annual earnings of $8.58 per share. Annual operating revenue is likely to be more than $73.5 billion, while analysts estimate $73.45 billion for 2014.

On July 29, the Audit Committee declared a third-quarter 2014 dividend to shareholders of $0.4375 per share. On an annualized basis, this equates to a dividend of $1.75 per share. The third-quarter dividend is payable on September 25, 2014, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 10.