According to the Futu Securities APP, UnitedHealth (UNH.US) has released a better-than-expected third-quarter performance. Due to rising medical costs and intensified network attacks, UnitedHealth has lowered the upper end of its full-year performance guidance. The company expects adjusted earnings per share to be between $27.50 and $27.75 in 2024, lower than the previous expectation of $27.50 to $28.

Due to the midpoint of the new guidance being below analysts' average expectations, in pre-market trading, UnitedHealth's stock price fell by 3.53% to $584.00.

Financial reports show that UnitedHealth's Q3 revenue was $100.8 billion, a 9.1% year-on-year growth, higher than the market's expected $99.2 billion; adjusted EPS was $7.15, while analysts' average expectation was $6.99.

UnitedHealth's medical loss ratio (an important indicator of patient care expenditures) was 85.2%, lower than Wall Street's expectations. The company stated that this was due to pressure from the U.S. elderly health program Medicare. Days claims payable were 47.4, compared to 45.2 in Q2 2024, and 50.7 in Q3 2023.

Health insurance companies in the United States have been struggling with unexpected increases in medical costs and reduced government project spending. UnitedHealth is the first company in the industry to report performance, regarded as a barometer of the industry.

The new performance guidance covers the impact of severe cyber attacks on the company's transformation of the medical sector, which is greater than previously predicted by the UnitedHealth Group. Some costs incurred in response to the crisis are excluded from the adjusted results.