UnitedHealth Group's (NYSE:UNH) Conservative Accounting Might Explain Soft Earnings

Shareholders appeared unconcerned with UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's (NYSE:UNH) lackluster earnings report last week. Our analysis suggests that while the profits are soft, the foundations of the business are strong.

Check out our latest analysis for UnitedHealth Group

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand UnitedHealth Group's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$8.3b due to unusual items. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect UnitedHealth Group to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates.

Our Take On UnitedHealth Group's Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from UnitedHealth Group's earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that UnitedHealth Group's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company's potential, but there is plenty more to consider. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for UnitedHealth Group you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of UnitedHealth Group's profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with significant insider holdings to be useful.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.