WELLPOINT REPORTS GAIN IN 4TH-QUARTER EARNINGS.Byline: Bloomberg News WellPoint Health Networks said its fourth-quarter profit from operations rose 25 percent as the managed care company increased its membership and cut costs. Profits before charges rose to $58.6 million, or 83 cents a diluted di·lute tr.v. di·lut·ed, di·lut·ing, di·lutes 1. To make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water. 2. To lessen the force, strength, purity, or brilliance of, especially by admixture. share, compared with net income of $47.0 million, or 71 cents, a year earlier. That beat the 80 cents a share average estimate of analysts polled by IBES IBES See: Institutional Brokers Estimate System International Inc. Woodland Hills-based WellPoint joins Humana and United HealthCare in reporting strong earnings growth at a time when competitors like Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. and Oxford Health Plans are struggling to overcome losses racked up as medical costs rose faster than expected. ``United, WellPoint and Humana all became very disciplined in their pricing a year and a half ago,'' said Roberta Waller, an analyst with Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MER TYO: 8675 ), through its subsidiaries and affiliates, provides capital markets services, investment banking and advisory services, wealth management, asset management, insurance, banking and related products and services on a global basis. , who has a ``buy'' rating on the stock. She made the comment before the results were released. |
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