UnitedHealth Raises Outlook After Profit Beats All Estimates (1)

UnitedHealth Group Inc. reported first quarter profit that blew past Wall Street expectations and boosted its outlook for the year, a sign of the health conglomerate’s progress toward rebuilding credibility with investors after a collapse a year ago.

Adjusted earnings were $7.23 a share, the company said in a statement Tuesday, above the highest analyst estimate in a Bloomberg survey. A key gauge of medical costs was better than expected, and the company raised its profit view by 50 cents a share.

UnitedHealth jumped 5% at 5:59 a.m. in New York on Tuesday, before the start of regular trading. Shares ...