Aetna (AET) Tops Q1 EPS by 45c; Boosts FY15 EPS Outlook

Aetna (NYSE: AET) reported Q1 EPS of $2.39, $0.45 better than the analyst estimate of $1.94. Revenue for the quarter came in at $15.09 billion versus the consensus estimate of $15.48 billion.

Aetna sees FY2015 EPS of $7.20-$7.40, versus prior guidance of $7.00 and the consensus of $7.19.

“Aetna had a strong start to the year, growing medical membership, operating earnings and operating revenues to record levels in the first quarter of 2015,” said Mark T. Bertolini, Aetna chairman and CEO. “This performance speaks to Aetna’s focus on operating fundamentals and the continued execution of our growth strategy.

“Based on these results, we are increasing our projection for operating earnings per share to $7.20 to $7.40, from our previous projection of at least $7.00.”

“We’re very pleased with our operating results, which continue to be supported by strong revenue growth, cash flow and operating margins,” said Shawn M. Guertin, Aetna executive vice president and CFO. “During the quarter, we continued to aggressively deploy capital to create shareholder value, returning $283 million through the repurchase of 2.1 million common shares and payment of an increased dividend.

“Our financial position, capital structure, and liquidity all continue to be very strong. At March 31, 2015, we had a debt-to-total-capitalization ratio of 35 percent, completing our targeted deleveraging after the Coventry acquisition earlier than our initial commitment.”

For earnings history and earnings-related data on Aetna (AET) click here.

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